NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 300 Selected for Team 1 and Team 1 Defense

Of his three-pointers, only one was an open shot; several were attempts made over the bar, yet they still went in.

As a shooter, JR Smith's off-ball accuracy isn't always top-tier, but he has a strong ability to create scoring opportunities. Some shooters excel at catch-and-shoot off the ball, like Korver and Redick. JR, however, is a different kind of shooter; he possesses top-tier ability to create scoring opportunities with the ball, a skill that rivals even the Splash Brothers. Besides shooting, he can also score one-on-one, and when he's in form, he could potentially transform into a 10-minute version of Michael Jordan, making him the biggest X-factor between the two teams.

JR Smith was unleashing a barrage of three-pointers from the outside, while TT was relentlessly attacking offensive rebounds inside. Meanwhile, the Running Man player was in control of the game, constantly setting picks and rolls with JR Smith and specifically targeting Korver.

Even if he fails to call a foul, giving the ball to JR and letting him attack Korver is enough to cause substantial damage to the latter.

When JR is on fire offensively, he's virtually fearless against most defenders, let alone Korver, whose defense is relatively weak.

The scene was somewhat brutal, and many Hawks fans couldn't bear to watch. Korver was repeatedly ravaged by the running man, Irving, and JR, to the point where he had nowhere left to hide.

In most teams, it's impossible for all positions 1, 2, and 3 to possess such formidable one-on-one skills, so Korver could be positioned in a relatively weaker defensive area. Alternatively, double-teaming could be used to neutralize his defensive vulnerabilities. But now, neither of these options is feasible.

The Hawks' two starting lineup weaknesses were exploited by their opponents, and coupled with their own inability to make shots, the game became quite unpleasant at times.

Jia Fei took over early, but the opponent, knowing he couldn't make his outside shots, double-teamed him relentlessly, forcing him to pass the ball out.

In the playoffs, the defense of players like Runner, JR Smith, and Kyrie Irving was on a completely different level, with a level of intensity and commitment that was entirely different from the regular season.

The Hawks looked somewhat embarrassed, with Jia Fei being double-teamed, unable to make outside shots, and their defense riddled with holes.

This is the first time this season that the league's top team has been so humiliated in the playoffs!

The Hawks' head coach made substitutions, replacing Korver with Carroll to bolster defense, and replacing Mills with Art Mayork to increase interior height.

The departure of Mills and Korver improved the Hawks' athleticism and defense, but did not enhance their offense, leaving them still trailing.

The Hawks trailed and were beaten throughout the game, and ultimately failed to turn the tide.

Ultimately, this highly anticipated clash between two strong teams ended in a loss for the Hawks.

The series score is now 0-1, breaking the Hawks' undefeated home record this season. Even more disappointing is that the Hawks' weaknesses were relentlessly exploited in this game, and they seemed completely unable to find a solution.

When their outside shooting is off, the Hawks lack height in the paint, resulting in a lot of rebounding and an inability to protect the rim. Korver's poor defense makes him a target, and there's no truly effective solution to this problem other than making substitutions.

Of course, the four teams currently playing in the conference finals are essentially perimeter teams, and it's difficult for any team to win if it doesn't have any outside shots that night.

After the match, the home team's locker room was deathly quiet.

This was almost a devastating blow. Before the game, the team was filled with optimism, as the previous two rounds of the series had indeed gone too smoothly.

Everyone was prepared for the Cavaliers to be strong, but this team lost Love in the first round, Irving was injured, and they struggled to get past the Bulls. No one expected the Eastern Conference Finals to turn out like this.

At this point, the veteran captain, who had been playing a supporting role in the team, spoke up: "We've only lost one game. We're down 0-1, not 0-3, so it's nothing. We can't possibly maintain this shooting percentage from beyond the arc in every game, and I don't believe JR can make that many three-pointers every game. If that were the case, I'd think God wanted us out, but what are the odds of that happening? So what are we afraid of?"

The old captain's words brought life to the quiet locker room. Jia Fei thought to himself that someone really needed to say something at this moment, and the old captain was obviously a good candidate.

It is said that "the onlooker sees most of the game," and the old captain who has been guarding the water cooler is an onlooker. He sees the game more clearly than the players on the field.

The old captain's words had a great effect. As the locker room leader, he relieved the players' frustration when the team needed it, which is definitely a merit.

Losing Game 1 means the Hawks have lost home-court advantage, forcing them to win Game 2. If they lose both home games and go on the road with a 0-2 deficit, they could face an extremely difficult situation.

There is some good news for them as well: the opposing All-Star guard Kyrie Irving left the game with an injury in the fourth quarter. The severity of the injury is currently unknown, but if he doesn't play in Game 2, the Hawks' chances of winning will increase significantly.

Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals will continue on May 21 at the Hawks' home arena, Philips Arena.

During practice on May 20, Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer asked Jia Fei for suggestions on how the team could change its lineup.

Jia Fei stated that there is no need to change the formation; the team just needs to regain its offensive prowess and be a little smarter on defense.

The fact is, it's unrealistic to completely shut down the Cavaliers. They don't have such perfect defensive resources. No matter how you hide Korver, as long as he's on the court, the opponent will target him.

As for Milwaukee and Al Horford, they can't each grow 3 centimeters taller overnight. It's better to keep the lineup as is rather than rashly changing it and disrupting the team. It's uncertain whether Kyrie Irving will even play; don't panic.

Jia Fei was quite pleased that Coach Buden had asked for his opinion. It was a good thing that the team's head coach was so respectful and accommodating to the opinions of key players. He didn't want to overstep his bounds and make decisions for the coach. He appreciated the atmosphere of open communication, but ultimately, the coaching staff would make the final decision, and everyone should just focus on their own tasks.

On the 21st, the NBA officially announced the All-NBA Team and All-Defensive Team rosters for the 2014-15 season.

The players who made the All-NBA First Team this season are: Jia Fei, Brother, Running Man, Beard Baller, and Davis.

This is Jia Fei's second consecutive season being selected for the All-NBA Team. Last season he was selected for the Third Team, and this season he was directly selected for the First Team, which is quite an improvement.

The All-Defensive Team announced that day included: Kawhi Leonard, Jia Fei, DeAndre Jordan, Tony Allen, and 58.