NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 658 Approaching the Capture of Grant

Grant's eyes widened, his gaze filled with disbelief. Reason told him that the Clippers really didn't give him much ball possession, but Jia Fei's words made him have no choice but to believe them.

This is Jia Fei, the league's undisputed top superstar, who just swept his team, the Nuggets, in the Western Conference Finals. He's faced off against this man before, and he can say without exaggeration that he simply couldn't contain him.

Jia Fei noticed Grant's expression, and saw him smiling as he said seriously, "I'm not joking. I can also tell you that if you come to our team, I'll switch to point guard next season!"

Upon hearing this, Grant's eyes widened even further, and his mouth formed an "O". If the Clippers could give him more ball possession with the Ferguson-Paul duo, it would only be if the Ferguson-Paul duo shared some ball possession with him. But for Jia Fei to play point guard would mean that the team leader would voluntarily relinquish control.

Jia Fei noticed Grant's expression and knew that simply saying he wanted him wouldn't sway him; a concrete promise was needed. From the moment the Clippers prepared to trade Beverley, Jia Fei had already decided to play point guard. In fact, for the past few years, he had been the Clippers' nominal point guard, only he hadn't actually worn the title or dribbled the ball across half-court.

If Jia Fei plays point guard, it means the Clippers will start with a five-forward lineup next season, with five players over two meters tall, which will be a unique sight in the NBA.

Jia Fei continued, "I know you've always wanted to play a more important role than you do with the Nuggets. We want you, and we won't let you become the next Gallinari. You'll get more touches. We'll still be championship favorites next season, and you'll have the chance to win your own championship ring. Los Angeles is a big city, and life in California is quite comfortable..."

Art Mayor, who was sitting to the side, was stunned. He never expected that Jia Fei was so good at recruitment.

Grant licked his lips; he was indeed tempted. Yes, playing for a weaker team offered more opportunities for ball possession than with the Clippers, but if the contracts were roughly the same, the Clippers offered more business opportunities, the chance to play alongside the league's best players, and a chance to contend for a championship—overall, the perfect destination.

But reason prevented Grant from immediately agreeing: "Jay, can I think about it?"

"Of course, you can contact me anytime if you've made up your mind, or you can have your agent talk directly to the Clippers. We would love to have you join us!" Jia Fei said with a smile, looking harmless and making people feel naturally good about him.

On their way back to Los Angeles from Portland, Jia Fei and Art Mayork couldn't help but ask, "Do you think Jeremy will accept our recruitment?"

Jia Fei nodded: "As long as he doesn't have any unspeakable difficulties or other problems, he will agree to us. Unless a team offers him a maximum salary and promises him a core position, but as far as I know, although his market value is still pretty good, no team will offer him a maximum salary."

"Are you really going to give him more control? I don't think he can handle the ball!" Art Mayork expressed his concerns.

Jia Fei smiled and said, "You don't need to worry about that. Jeremy isn't that great, but he's not that bad either. He's capable. He just didn't get enough touches with the Nuggets. If he had enough touches, he could easily score 15 points per game. I'm not giving him more playing time to play a supporting role; I'll still be a primary scorer, just without taking as many shots myself. Next season, I'll focus more on organizing the offense and reduce my scoring duties. I've discussed this with Coach Budenholzer, and he agrees. As for Artest, at my age, I can't keep playing at such a high intensity. I've played too many games in the past few seasons, and I need to adjust so I have more stamina for the playoffs."

Art Mayork nodded knowingly. Jia Fei always thought so far ahead. Bringing in Grant was indeed a reinforcement. Judging from last season, Gallinari's help to the team was getting less and less.

Moreover, if Grant really comes, it will not only relieve the scoring pressure on Jia Fei, but also help the team on the defensive end, and make the starting lineup younger.

Last season, the Clippers' starting lineup had two veterans over 30 years old (Beverley and Gallinari). Now that Gallinari is gone, trading Beverley would mean that the Clippers have rejuvenated their roster after winning the championship, which is definitely a good thing.

Grant didn't keep Jia Fei waiting long; he soon sent a text message informing Jia Fei that he was willing to join the Clippers!

Upon receiving this message, Jia Fei's lips curled into a smile. Acquiring Grant was of great significance to the Clippers. Grant might not be suited to be a team's primary or secondary star, but he was more than capable of being the third option. Young forwards with both offense and defense are always in high demand in the league. Even if their offense falters at times, their defense and size are undeniable, ensuring a high floor.

Last season, the Clippers' weak interior defense was common knowledge throughout the league. Their consistently high defensive efficiency relied on relentless pressure and tenacious defense from the perimeter, while their rebounding and rim protection remained consistently weak. Danilo Gallinari was frequently targeted defensively; he couldn't protect the rim, his one-on-one defense was mediocre, and he didn't provide significant help defense. If the sole purpose was simply to create spacing, then over $2000 million a year was indeed a bit pricey.

February has arrived...

On November 8, the NBA Board of Governors and the Players Association reached an agreement that the new NBA season will start on December 23. The NBA will have the shortest offseason in history, and the 2020-21 season will still be a shortened season, with the NBA league planning to play only 72 regular season games.

The biggest difference from last season is not that there are fewer games, but that the league has introduced a "play-in tournament" format.

附加赛具体的规则是这样的：下赛季每个分区排在第7-10名球队都有冲击季后赛的资格。各分区第7和第8的球队先进行附加赛，胜者直接成为分区第7号种子（排位第7的球队只需一胜就可以拿到第7号种子，第8名需要两场胜利）；第9和第10的球队再进行新的附加赛，胜者将于第7和第8名的败者再进行一场比赛，胜者成为分区第8号种子，值得一提的是，第9、10名的球队必须两战全胜，才可晋级。

The league is constantly racking its brains to increase viewership. This play-in tournament is designed to prevent teams that want to coast into the playoffs from doing so. If you want to comfortably make it into the playoffs, you need to perform well in the regular season. Once you fall into the play-in tournament zone, you may miss the playoffs altogether.