NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 603 Ajarn's Weakness

The biggest difference between this Spurs lineup and their previous lineup is the inclusion of a two-center strategy. Previously, they consistently used a one-in-four-outside game, and while Aldridge's solo inside presence did create some spacing, it was clear that his nearly 7-foot height was insufficient to effectively protect the rim. Therefore, the Spurs' interior defense has always been problematic; they sacrificed interior defense to increase offensive spacing.

Starting Harrell now increases their rebounding and rim-attacking ability, but rim protection remains inadequate because Harrell has never been a competent rim protector. Harrell may be passionate, but at only 201cm tall, even with an incredible wingspan, he can't establish a solid barrier in the paint.

Some argue that Ben Wallace, at only 201cm tall, could protect the rim. Firstly, his larger frame, muscular build, and heavier weight allowed him to defend at the top of the paint. Secondly, his defensive awareness was far superior to Harrell's. Another crucial point cannot be overlooked: the Pistons' incredible defense back then wasn't solely due to Wallace; Rasheed Wallace's dominance was a vital factor.

That's how defense works; if one link is breached, the whole chain will be breached.

The biggest problem with the Spurs' roster is spacing. DeRozan is notoriously reluctant to shoot threes, and starting point guard DeTaijon Murray also rarely attempts threes. When he does, he prefers to hold the ball and find his rhythm before shooting, and his accuracy is poor, with limited volume. Harrell lacks shooting ability, and Aldridge has a shot, but it's limited to mid-range. The team's best starter is surprisingly Forbes, which is truly unimaginable in today's league.

With such a "reverse modernization" lineup, it's truly remarkable that Popovich has managed to achieve this level of success.

Ajarn was one-on-one with Dillon in the midfield position, using various footwork techniques, and finally feinted and knocked Dillon up, drawing a foul.

Harden is often called the NBA's number one flopping king and a free throw master, which is certainly true. However, DeRozan is also one of the league's top players in drawing fouls. It's just that, comparatively speaking, his ability to draw fouls is more "skilled" and less offensive to watch.

It's like comparing two players taking a series of missed shots. Kobe's various high-difficulty consecutive fadeaway jumpers and desperate shots look more sophisticated than the "Yangcheng Lake jump shot" from Running Man. However, in reality, Running Man has a higher shooting percentage in both three-pointers and overall shooting percentage (including true shooting percentage). Yet, many fans still think Kobe is the better offensive player. It's the same logic.

As representatives of the classic shooting guard position, DeRozan and Kobe Bryant are often compared. They are similar in stature and both possess well-rounded offensive skills, but why does their ability seem so different? Leaving aside the defensive gap, which is obvious, DeRozan's fewer three-point attempts are one aspect where he falls short of Kobe. However, their biggest difference actually stems from one thing: their first-step speed!

Kobe lost his peak first-step speed in his later years, especially after his Achilles tendon injury. He clearly couldn't shake off defenders, and often his feints left him without enough space to attack the basket, leading to more forced shots and a collapse in his shooting percentage later on. However, Kobe in his early and peak years was extremely difficult to defend. He could use a triple threat to drive straight to the basket, using his speed to gain position, either for a pull-up jumper or a direct shot at the rim, his first step was incredibly fast.

In this respect, among the wing swingmen of that era, only McGrady's first step could be compared to Kobe's. McGrady's first step was even faster than Kobe's, but he wasn't as flexible and preferred to play with a more fluid, floating style. Therefore, McGrady finished more often with pull-up jumpers and fewer drives to the basket.

DeRozan has participated in the Slam Dunk Contest, so his jumping ability is not a problem; he just lacks a strong first step. Therefore, whether in the early stages or now, in half-court sets, he cannot use his speed to get rid of defenders without relying on pick-and-rolls. This is why his isolation plays involve many fakes and require a lot of footwork.

Similarly, Carter didn't have a first step like Kobe or McGrady, so his offense never truly reached the top level.

One particularly unique player is the "Running Man" (or "Running Man"). While his absolute speed surpasses that of Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady, his initial acceleration isn't as quick. Therefore, even during his first stint with the Cavaliers, you'd often see him using pick-and-rolls on half-court offense. Sometimes he'd even push the ball near the free-throw line, requiring considerable acceleration distance. His most potent offensive move was during transition, where he would accelerate from the backcourt, creating a significant distance that made him difficult to defend.

Back to the game, DeRozan stepped up to the free-throw line and made both shots!

Players who excel at mid-range jump shots generally have good free throw shooting skills, and Dejan is such a player.

2:6, the Spurs finally scored.

Beverley dribbled the ball over and passed it to Jia Fei.

Jia Fei receives the ball, passes it to Olynyk in the high position, and then makes an off-the-ball run.

Olynyk and Dillon handed each other hands, and Dillon burst in, taking Kyle Anderson's place.

Kyle Anderson, without stopping the ball, passed it to Jia Fei in the corner!

Jia Fei dodges the Forbes list, calmly sniping with a 3-pointer – Bang!

2:9, the Clippers' offense was incredibly fluid!

"Jia Fei is just as good with or without the ball!" Wang Zixing exclaimed.

"Yes, as shooters, we pay a lot of attention to rhythm when running off the ball. If we get the rhythm right, we can make the shot even if we're up against someone. Without rhythm, it's hard to guarantee the shooting percentage!" Wang Shipeng said eloquently. He himself was once considered a sharpshooter in the CBA and dominated the Guangdong Men's Basketball Team, so he naturally has a deep understanding of this.

The Spurs were on offense, the Clippers were playing very close, and Mori forced his way to the basket and ended up committing a turnover in the middle of the crowd!

Jia Fei intercepted the ball and launched a counterattack, passing the ball to Beverley who was making a quick run down the court!

Beverley easily made the layup!

2:11, the Clippers easily forced a Spurs timeout, and Staples Center erupted...

Lin Ning stood up and cheered for Jia Fei. Since the start of the game, Jia Fei had firmly controlled the game, and the opponent's shooting weakness had been exploited to the fullest extent, leaving them with no way to deal with it.

Harrell was also very unhappy when he left the court. He felt that he didn't have enough ball possession and that Mori was shooting randomly. He felt that it would have been better to let him go under the basket and overpower Kyle Anderson!

After the timeout, the game resumed.

The Spurs' offensive spacing problem persists, and Harrell lacks post-up ability. He needs to attack the basket, but if the opponent packs the paint, he can't get up there, and his passes are easily stolen.

Aldridge can hit mid-range shots after pick-and-rolls, but the Clippers aren't afraid of that; he can't kill anyone with that shot.

The Spurs are still a team that struggles in transition, but they also lack spacing in half-court sets, making their game very difficult. Against average teams, they can rely on their rich experience and good discipline, but against a team like the Clippers with excellent defense, rich experience, and a superstar, it's not so easy.