freenovelworld Chapter 574 First Match of the World Cup
Chapter 574 First Match of the World Cup
With this, the Clippers' summer recruitment efforts have come to an end.
Their current 15-man roster is as follows:
Inside players: Olynyk, Art Mayork, Hartenstein
Wings: Jia Fei, Paul George, Gallinari, Dillon Bridges, Kyle Anderson, Grant Williams
Guards: Beverley, Brunson, Hart, Bruce Brown, Mann
Compared to last season, the Clippers have one less center. They now have seven proper forwards. If you include forwards like Hart, Bruce Brown, and Mann, they actually have ten forwards!
A true powerhouse of forwards!
Some people might think that there are too few point guards. In fact, the Clippers only have Brunson as a proper point guard. The others are not proper point guards.
However, Jia Fei doesn't believe there's a need for pure point guards. In today's league, pure point guards are rare; many point guards are combo guards. Pure point guards without scoring ability are gradually becoming unsuitable for this league. Even a player as strong as Kidd developed off-ball movement and a three-point shot later in his career. The kind of game where a guard dribbles for ages while others run for opportunities, like it did a decade ago, is becoming increasingly rare.
The Clippers should be able to field two lineups next season. Beverley will start at point guard, but Jia Fei will be the primary ball handler, Paul George will be the secondary ball handler, Olynyk will be the third ball handler, and Beverley will be the final ball handler, mainly responsible for defense and off-ball movement.
The second unit's ball handler was Brunson, with Kyle Anderson as the secondary ball handler; the rest of the players were mostly off the ball.
The Clippers' roster structure has many players who can handle the ball. Even 3-and-D players like Bridges and Gallinari can attack from the weak side, so the roster doesn't necessarily need a pure point guard to lead the offense.
The Clippers have a very flexible roster for switching on defense, with many forwards. Although they have shorter players like Beverley and Brunson, these two are not at a disadvantage on the defensive end. They are very explosive and strong. As for the others, there are almost no players with particularly bad defense. The team's defensive floor and ceiling are both very high, which will help them maintain their status as one of the league's top defensive teams.
In the past three seasons, the three seasons since Jia Fei joined the Clippers, their defensive efficiency and points allowed per game have never fallen out of the top 5 in the league. Many people think that the Clippers' success is due to their offense, but in fact, defense is the foundation of this team. Offensively, apart from Jia Fei who is truly rock-solid, everyone else, including Paul George, has an inconsistent side. But their defense has been consistently solid. This is the fundamental reason why this team can still go toe-to-toe with their opponents even when their offense is off.
Unlike many championship teams in history, the Clippers' average age this season ranks in the 20s in the league, meaning they are roughly the same age as rebuilding teams. It's worth noting that many NBA championship teams have a large number of veterans, and their core members are facing aging, which to some extent prevents them from achieving consecutive championships.
And youth is a precious asset!
Jia Fei and Art Mayok are training in China in preparation for the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Jia Fei quickly won the unanimous recognition of his teammates and coaches. He trains diligently and meticulously, has outstanding individual abilities, and a strong sense of teamwork, allowing everyone to truly feel the ability of the NBA's top player.
During his time in China, Jia Fei maintained contact with Lin Ning. Their calm and unassuming exchanges seemed to be progressing steadily, with everything slowly moving towards them being together.
August has arrived in the blink of an eye...
On August 30, the opening ceremony of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup was held at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing, and the President of China attended the opening ceremony.
China's men's basketball team will face a strong African team, Ivory Coast, in their first group stage match.
Those who frequently watched sports channels back then should be familiar with this: the Stankovic Cup always featured an African champion team, Angra...
Now, so many years later, Angola is still Angola, and other strong basketball teams in Africa have also emerged, such as Ivory Coast and Nigeria.
On the evening of August 31, in the first match of Group A of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, the host team China Men's Basketball Team faced Ivory Coast Men's Basketball Team at the Wukesong Arena.
The Wukesong Arena, which can accommodate 18000 spectators, was packed to capacity for this match.
This scene is reminiscent of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when Chairman Yao led the Chinese men's basketball team to compete here, with the same average score.
Time flies, and 11 years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Many fans at the scene wore Jia Fei's jerseys and waved posters with his picture on them, which shows his popularity in China!
A reporter at the scene interviewed a fan wearing a Jia Fei jersey.
"Hello, are you a fan of Jia Fei?"
"Yes, I've been a fan of his for many years. I've liked him since he played for the Hawks. I'm so excited that he's representing China in international competitions. I had to come all the way from my hometown to support him!"
This match was broadcast live on China Sports Channel, with commentators Yu Jia and guest Xu Jicheng.
"Mr. Xu, as an African team, how much of a threat do you think Côte d'Ivoire will pose to the Chinese men's basketball team?" Yu Jia asked.
Xu Jicheng still sports the same buzz cut he always had, but his hair is now streaked with gray – time waits for no one. He answered earnestly, "Ivory Coast is an African team. Like Angola and Nigeria, they have good physical attributes, but their technique might be a bit rougher. The Chinese men's basketball team needs to play patiently and not follow their rhythm. I think we have a better chance of winning!"
When the players from both sides entered the field, the cheers reached their peak as soon as Jia Fei stepped onto the pitch. The fans chanted Jia Fei's name in unison. Although Jia Fei had never played a single game for China, the fans here already considered him one of their own, and he was the most popular player in the entire stadium.
Jia Fei waved to the fans, his face bearing the familiar smile.
"He's so handsome, I'm a little dizzy!" a girl wearing a green baseball cap said to her best friend.
"You're such a fangirl, he's so handsome!" Her best friend couldn't help but cover her mouth.
"Why are you drooling?" the girl in the baseball cap asked her best friend.
"No, it's probably sour. I just ate a preserved plum!" my best friend explained.
"It's okay to drool, I'm telling you, I drooled too!" The girl in the baseball cap covered her mouth and chuckled.
The two exchanged a glance, and everything was understood without a word...