NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 138 The Eagles Go Crazy

Achieving less than 10 points per game while signing a contract worth nearly ten million is absolutely phenomenal!

The news immediately sparked a huge discussion both online and offline. Many people believe Jia Fei has great potential, but he clearly doesn't deserve this contract. His ability is at best suited for a mid-level contract; he's just a substitute.

On TNT's flagship show "NBA Insider," Charles Barkley and his partner Kenny Smith discussed Jia Fei's new contract.

"Kenny, have you heard about the new contract that Chinese-American basketball prodigy Jia Fei signed with the Atlanta Hawks?" Barkley asked.

Kenny Smith replied, "Of course I know, the whole of America knows about it now!"

"I don't understand why Hawks GM Danny would give such a big contract to an Asian player. The last person to get such a big contract was Jeremy Lin, who is still with the Rockets. Look at Jeremy's performance in last season's playoffs, it was really terrible. If it weren't for him, the Rockets might have eliminated the Thunder," Barkley said.

"But it wasn't just the Hawks who offered Jia Fei a big contract; Toronto also offered him a similar one. More than five teams offered him mid-level or higher contracts this summer!" Kenny Smith pointed out.

Barkley was unimpressed: "So what? It just shows that super teams are too prevalent now. Many teams can't get star players in the free agent market, so in order to spend their money, they find these big-name but not very talented so-called potential stars, give them big contracts, only to find that they are not worth the price at all."

“Charles, you looked down on Yao Ming back then, but ended up kissing a donkey’s ass. Now you look down on Jia Fei. Aren’t you afraid they’ll bet with you and embarrass her again?” Kenny Smith reminded him again.

Barkley nonchalantly said, "I'm not afraid at all! I'm just stating the facts. I don't believe Jia Fei can become an All-Star. He's just a role player. There are too many young players who are better than him. The Hawks will regret it by this time next season!"

Not only are media figures collectively pessimistic about Jia Fei, but even many NBA legends are dissatisfied with his lucrative contract. They question why a player known for his dunks deserves such a large contract. They feel the NBA has truly entered a period of inflation, where anyone can sign a multi-million dollar contract.

Jia Fei ignored the gossip, but many of it still reached his ears. He was seething with anger. "You look down on me? Next season I'll show you what I'm made of and shut you up!"

On the same day that Jia Fei signed his contract, Dwight Howard, the biggest free agent in this summer's market, announced that he had signed with the Rockets, with the two sides reaching a four-year, $88 million contract.

Howard's signing with the Rockets instantly transformed them into a championship contender in the league.

After signing the contract, Jia Fei began his rehabilitation training.

His training focus this summer is on defense and shooting. With the integration of Iverson's peak skills as a supplement, he doesn't need to worry about his ball-handling offense. What he needs to improve is his three-point shooting, catch-and-shoot, and defense (one-on-one and help defense). Iverson's offensive weaknesses during his prime were his mediocre three-point shooting (feel-dependent) and low overall shooting percentage (related to defensive pressure and his height). He needs to improve these areas to become a more well-rounded player.

As for defense, peak Iverson's defensive skills had no major flaws. The main reason he was vulnerable on defense was his size. From his steal instincts to his one-on-one and help defense awareness, he was excellent. Jia Fei doesn't have this problem. He has a height of 201cm and a wingspan of 220cm, giving him the potential to become a top-tier perimeter defender.

Many players trained with Jia Fei and his team, including Kemba Walker, Art Mayok, Lamb, Oriak, Ben Gordon, Brandon Haywood, Raymond Sessions, Napier, Gerald Henderson, Reggie Jackson, and Maria Sharapova.

Sharapova, of course, doesn't practice basketball with them. She trains in the gym, mainly focusing on rehabilitation. Her shoulder injury has been bothering her and has indirectly affected her performance this year.

On July 10, after signing Jia Fei, the Hawks made another big move in the free agent market, signing Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap to a two-year, $19 million contract.

米尔萨普在上赛季拒绝了爵士开出的3年2500万美元的合同，他上赛季场均可以得到14.6分7.1个篮板1.3个抢断1.1个盖帽。

The Hawks made several big moves during the offseason, acquiring two key players and making them a hot commodity in this summer's free agency market. While Jafi and Millsap weren't the biggest free agents this year, they were still highly sought after by many teams, and the Hawks ultimately used their financial power to secure both.

That day, the Clippers announced a contract extension with Paul, signing him to a five-year, $1.07 million deal. This news wasn't surprising, as Paul staying with the team was highly probable.

On July 11, former Hawks star Josh Smith signed a four-year, $54 million contract with the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons had originally intended to acquire both JaVale and Josh, but ultimately got Lou Williams and Josh instead. For them, it's not bad; they didn't get anything.

约什上赛季在老鹰出战76场常规赛，场均35.3分钟，得到17.5分、8.4篮板和4.2助攻；出战6场季后赛，场均33.2分钟，得到17.0分、7.5篮板和3.5助攻。他执意要离开老鹰，自然无人可以阻止他。

It was precisely because of his departure that the Hawks were able to offer satisfactory contracts to Jia Fei and Millsap.

Before signing Jafi and Millsap, the Hawks acquired Beast forward DeMarre Carroll in free agency with a two-year, $5 million contract.

On July 14, the Hawks announced that they matched the Bucks' offer to their starting point guard Jeff Teague for a four-year, $32 million contract.

The Hawks' recruitment efforts continue. On July 16, they signed former shipping magnate Elton Brand to a one-year, $4 million contract.

7月23日，老鹰队宣布签下北马其顿中锋佩罗·安蒂奇，合同为期2年价值245万美元，其中2014-15赛季无保障。

The Hawks went absolutely crazy in the free agent market!

The Hawks are still signing players!

On July 29, they signed Mexican center Gustavo Ayon to a one-year, $1.5 million contract!

With this, the Hawks' frenzied recruitment spree this summer has temporarily come to an end... Although they didn't land any so-called big fish, they were arguably the most active team in this offseason's free agency market!