NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 651 On the Strength of the West and the Weakness of the East

The Heat switched their defensive strategy from zone to man-to-man defense between the first and second halves. Coach Spoelstra, unlike the stubborn Lee, made the adjustments. However, at least so far, the results haven't been significantly different. The man-to-man defense has amplified the Heat's weakness in individual defense.

This is also why the Heat are unwilling to use man-to-man defense against the Clippers. They certainly know that playing zone defense will leave open three-pointers, and they know how terrifying the Clippers' outside shooting is, but you have no choice but to take a gamble. If there weren't no other options, no one would be willing to take that gamble.

The Heat's man-to-man defense was too risky to double-team Jia Fei. In fact, they had already assigned JB, their strongest perimeter defender, to guard him. If they sent someone else to double-team him, the other players would have to defend him more than the other players. The other players' defense was already somewhat lacking, and if they continued to defend him like this, it would be easy for the Heat to collapse.

Furthermore, Jia Fei's passing ability is terrifying, approaching that of a peak running man (a famous Chinese basketball player known for his speed and agility). Most teams simply wouldn't dare double-team him. The image of the Nuggets double-teaming Jia Fei in the Western Conference Finals only to have him blown out by the Clippers' shooters is still vivid in our minds…

The Clippers' offense is actually quite simple: have their two stars target Duncan Robinson, force him to double-team, and then pass the ball to other players to create open looks.

Another strategy is to have Olynyk draw Adebayo out of the paint, allowing him to cut inside or attack the paint from the back door. The Heat aren't a particularly tall team overall, not much taller than the Rockets. While there aren't any exceptionally short players, the team as a whole isn't tall. Teams like this rely on team defense and are most vulnerable to exceptionally talented players who can overwhelm even the most experienced.

The Clippers have stronger raw talent than the Heat, and with the coach's in-game adjustments and the players' rich experience, their strengths become even stronger.

In the third quarter, led by Jia Fei, the Clippers extended their lead to 30 points by the end of the quarter, effectively ending any suspense in the game. The entire fourth quarter became garbage time, but even then, the Heat couldn't beat the Clippers, who ultimately won by 35 points!

The Clippers defeated the Heat 100-135, securing victory in the first game of the NBA Finals.

Such a resounding victory can easily undermine the players' confidence. Of course, such a resounding victory is not the norm, but it would be a lie to say that the players are not frustrated at all.

贾飞全场轰下38分10个篮板12次助攻3个抢断2个盖帽，稳如老狗一般的表现。

After the game, many media reporters and experts praised the Clippers, as if the Heat were already out of the game. That's how the media is; they're all the same. They often portray you as amazing when you win and nothing when you lose. They're just like those stock market investors who like to chase highs and sell lows.

Jia Fei remained rational. He knew the Heat's strength was beyond what they were capable of, but he also knew they weren't truly strong enough to reverse a series. The Heat's strengths were something the Clippers weren't afraid of; so far in the playoffs, the only team to have truly troubled the Clippers' defense was the Nuggets, led by Jokic.

The Clippers' defensive Achilles' heel is their interior defense, and while the Heat have Adebayo in the paint, he's never been a true inside threat. His low-post offense isn't as good as peak Millskinson or Al Jefferson of the Hornets back in the day.

Ariel Lin's true value lies in his defense. He can switch onto smaller players, protect the rim, and grab rebounds. This defensive ability alone is worth 20 million. On offense, he can handle the ball, score on pick-and-rolls, and make mid-range jump shots. Apart from his three-point shooting not being great, he is quite well-rounded. It's just that his offense isn't particularly strong.

The Clippers crushed the Heat in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, reigniting heated discussions online about the West's dominance over the East.

The idea that the West is stronger than the East is not just the opinion of any individual expert; it is indeed an established fact. Over the past 20 years, Western Conference teams have consistently held the advantage in overall winning percentages against Eastern Conference teams, as well as in their Finals matchups.

The weakness of the Eastern Conference is mainly due to the inability of several traditional powerhouses to maintain their former glory. Take the Knicks, for example. Home to New York City, the largest metropolis in the US, and with a history of championships, what have they been doing for the past 20 years? They've become what fans call "rubbish." The 76ers, one of the NBA's all-time greats, have only reached the Finals once in the last 20 years with Allen Iverson, and haven't had any other impressive records. The Bulls, after the Jordan era, only had the Derrick Rose era to truly shine, but like Rose's injuries, they've also fallen into a slump since he left…

In the West, the small-market Spurs, who produced Popovich and drafted Duncan over the past two decades, achieved great success; while the traditional powerhouse Lakers acquired Shaq and Kobe, ironically both drafted by Eastern Conference teams. Not to mention the Clippers and Warriors, the West's dominance over the East has persisted to this day.

After the Heat's crushing defeat to the Clippers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, many legends and stars offered advice to the Heat. Scottie Pippen, the retired second-in-command of the Chicago Bulls dynasty, stated on a talk show that the Heat shouldn't rely solely on zone defense. He argued that zone defense only allows Clippers shooters to find their rhythm, and the Heat should instead use man-to-man defense and increase switching, avoiding frequent double-teams of the opposing star players. He even suggested it's better to let Jia Fei score 50 points in a game than to let him dish out more than 10 assists.

Another legendary player, Charles Barkley, believed the Heat should continue using a zone defense. He argued that a zone defense is more effective at limiting the opponent's drives and preventing their paint from being constantly penetrated. He preferred to give the Clippers some three-point opportunities, as the Clippers couldn't stay on that shooting line forever.

However, most legends believe that the Heat have little room for adjustment. There is a gap in the star power of the two teams, as well as a gap in the overall strength of their role players. The Heat cannot replicate the miracles they achieved against the Bucks and Celtics in the East.

June 3th, Game 2 of the Grand Finals.

The Heat didn't change their lineup, but they clearly made adjustments after the game started. They didn't resort to mindless zone defense or mindless man-to-man defense, but instead used both defensive strategies interchangeably.

On the defensive end, they increased pressure on the top line and sped up their rotations; on the offensive end, they played more unselfishly, creating opportunities for shooters through more off-ball screens and ball movement.

The Heat's adjustments were effective; applying pressure on the perimeter increased turnovers by the Clippers' role players and lowered their outside shooting percentage. Although they still conceded points inside, it was a significant improvement compared to the previous game where they were completely exploited by the opponent's outside shooting.

The Clippers' role players started to go cold, and even Paul George's performance wasn't as good as in the previous game.

But Jia Fei still stepped up, scoring 15 points in a single quarter and 30 points in the first half, helping the team maintain their lead. What surprised everyone was that, besides Jia Fei, the Clippers' only player who truly stepped up on offense against this level of defensive intensity wasn't Paul George or Gallinari, but rather Brunson, a guard with a large head and a short stature off the bench.