NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 299 Hawks vs. Cavaliers

Shaquille O'Neal once said that winning a championship as a bus driver is different from winning it as a passenger.

Of course they are different. Take Pippen, for example. He won six championships, but no one thinks his historical status is higher than Magic Johnson and Duncan.

But Pippen wasn't exactly a passenger; he was the second-in-command, more like the co-driver. The real passenger was Robert Hawley, who was showered with rings.

The reason Jia Fei was upset about being eliminated by the Heat last season was because he was the bus driver for the Hawks, while he was just a passenger for the Thunder.

If a team is eliminated, would you blame a passenger, whether it's the media or the fans?

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Hawks and the Cavaliers will be held on the evening of the 19th at the Hawks' home arena, Philips Arena.

Both teams have plenty of time to prepare, but for the Hawks, the rest period was a bit too long...

Sometimes this isn't a good thing. Players need consistency in their matches, and matches and training are ultimately different.

No matter how realistic the training is, it can't simulate the feeling of a match. A match is a match, and training is training.

The difference isn't in intensity, but in mindset. No matter how intense the training, because it doesn't involve winning or losing, your mindset will be different. But in a competition, winning or losing is involved, and the opponent's factors will have an impact. Those with a weaker mindset are more prone to fluctuations in their performance.

Therefore, it is meaningless to practice stock trading in a demo account. You will never get the hang of it if you don't put real money into it.

The Hawks players were also getting a bit numb from training and wanted the game to start as soon as possible.

Art Mayork has been practicing very diligently. He played quite well in the last series, which has further boosted his confidence. By not practicing flashy ball-handling offense and focusing on defense, rebounding, and finishing plays, he has become more focused on the court, allowing him to utilize his strengths effectively.

"Jia, everyone online is talking about 'Full Power LeBron,' what do you think our chances of winning are?" Art Mayork started chatting with Jia Fei about their opponents during a break from training.

"It's hard to say, but I'm sure we'll have a better chance than last season!" Jia Fei wasn't sure if they would win either. There's too much chance in a game. If a key player gets injured and is out for the season, the series can be completely reversed. This is no joke; it's a real problem.

"I really want to play in the Finals. I've never played in the Finals before, and I'm so excited just thinking about it!" Art Mayork said with a look of anticipation.

"I want to too! I've never played in the finals!" Jia Fei shared the same longing.

"Didn't you make it to the finals when you were with OKC?" Art Mayork thought he was mistaken.

"Back then, I was just a water cooler guardian, only closer to the venue than the audience, that's all!" Jia Fei laughed.

“That’s true, it’s telling me we have a good chance this season!” Art Mayork seemed a little excited.

"Thanks for your kind words!" Jia Fei certainly wanted to make it to the finals and compete for the championship. His biggest regret in his career so far was not winning a title. Although his career had a long way to go, his desire for a championship remained the same at all times, especially while he didn't yet have a ring.

If he had a championship ring, neither Jordan nor Bao Pi could use it to mock him anymore.

Why was Barkley unable to effectively retaliate against Shaq every time he was criticized? Because Shaq's criticism was always about rings, and Barkley genuinely couldn't produce them. That's the reality.

Jia Fei currently holds a regular season MVP award, and the honor he needs most now is the championship. As long as he wins the championship, regardless of whether he gets the Finals MVP, he will have an MVP and a championship. Although his historical ranking may not be in the top 10 or even top 20, he will definitely be someone those old superstars can laugh at.

The Eastern Conference Finals haven't even started yet, but the atmosphere in Atlanta is already incredibly intense. Whether this team can make it to the NBA Finals for the first time in over 40 years depends on this Eastern Conference Finals.

The Hawks have played well this season and have also had some good luck. One of the Cavaliers' Big Three is out for the season, and Kyrie Irving, one of the other two, has been suffering from a leg injury, so it's unclear how much of his ability he can play.

So even though the outside world still favors the Cavaliers, the Hawks also have a good chance. If both teams have their full rosters, their chances will be much lower.

After all, the NBA playoffs are all about superstars, and the Hawks only have one. If Kevin Love, one of the Hawks' Big Three, is considered an average star, then LeBron James and Kyrie Irving are definitely capable of putting up a show in the playoffs, and that's no joke.

The 19th is fast approaching, and the Eastern Conference Finals are about to begin!

Tickets for Game 1 at Philips Arena sold out well in advance, much to the surprise of many longtime Hawks fans that tickets for this team were so hard to get.

Both teams started their respective lineups. The Hawks fielded their All-Star five-man roster, which has remained unchanged since the start of the playoffs.

The Cavaliers' starting lineup consists of Timofey Mozgov, Tristan Thompson, Steve Nash, Iman Shumpert, and Kyrie Irving.

After the game started, Jia Fei was assigned to defend against the runner, Korver was assigned to defend against Shumpert, and the other three positions were matched up against each other.

For the Cavaliers, Running Man guards Korver, Shumpert guards Jia Fei, and the other three positions are matched up against each other.

The Cavaliers' lineup was clearly weakened in the elbow area and their offensive spacing was sacrificed after Love's season-ending injury. However, the advantage of having two centers is rebounding. TT is a rebounding maniac, tireless, quick on defense, and never runs out of time. He was instrumental in the Cavaliers' victory over the Bulls.

The Hawks' five-outside lineup would normally be a game-changer against teams with a dominant center, but Mozgov is different from centers like Gao Yuanyuan; he's fast enough to extend his defense out of the paint. Running Man and Tristan Thompson can drop back to help defend the basket at any time. With Love out for the season, the team's defensive ceiling has become very high. Aside from Irving's slightly weaker defense, the other positions are very solid defensively, making them difficult to score against easily.

The Hawks had rested for almost a week and were clearly a bit rusty, resulting in poor outside shooting. This made it impossible for them to punish the opponent offensively with a five-outside lineup.

The Cavaliers protected the defensive rebounds, but on the offensive boards, TT punished the Hawks, putting them behind in all rebounding positions.

With the Hawks' outside shooting off, the Cavaliers felt free to double-team Jia Fei.

The Cavaliers' offensive strategy is simple: Kyrie Irving and Kyrie Irving handle the ball and go one-on-one. When double-teamed or getting help defense, they pass the ball out, and the other three players handle the situation easily. This offensive approach results in very few turnovers.

The Hawks fell behind early, and the players seemed a bit impatient. But the worst was yet to come: JR Smith, coming off the bench, immediately unleashed his full potential, hitting consecutive three-pointers.