NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 528: Leading by a Wide Margin of Votes

At the start of the second quarter, the Clippers maintained their advantage.

The Lakers' starters lack spacing, their bench lacks offensive capability, and their head coach is obsessed with small lineups. This team is facing problems when facing the Clippers, one of the league's top teams.

The Lakers can win many games against weak teams by relying on their three main strategies (fast breaks, isolation plays, and small lineups), but when they encounter strong teams, all of the team's problems come to the fore.

The biggest problem is still the interior. You can't play a small lineup with two traditional centers, but without Zubac and Tyson Chandler, neither Karl-Anthony Davis, Brandon Ingram, nor Kyle Kuzma can play center in a small lineup. There's also no spacing in a small lineup, which prevents many plays from being executed.

The Clippers steadily dominated the Lakers, who seemed to be held underwater with their heads pinned down, unable to breathe.

At halftime, the score was 68-48, a difference of 20 points...

From the score to the game's flow and overall performance, the Lakers were at a disadvantage, and it wasn't clear whether the two teams had a chance to be on the same level. The Lakers didn't play Kuzma in this game, but the Clippers also had two starters resting. You can't say that playing Kuzma would have leveled the playing field for both teams…

If Kuzma is really that good, the Lakers don't need to look for a team-building core, because the team-building core is already on the roster!

The problem is that, aside from being particularly favored by Jeanie Buss, the daughter of Jerry Buss, Kuzma doesn't seem to have any superstar potential. He's more like a high-level role player with strong immediate impact; at his core, he's still a role player.

This highly anticipated Los Angeles derby was somewhat lackluster in the second half due to the poor performance in the first half. Some Lakers fans were understandably upset. Being thoroughly outplayed by the Clippers last season or even earlier was one thing, but this offseason, with the acquisition of the star player "Running Man" and the development of young talents like Ingram, one would expect that even if there was still a gap between the two teams, Lakers shouldn't continue to be outplayed. However, reality proved to be cruel.

只有球爹还在喋喋不休地跟身边的人说他儿子组织能力多么多么牛掰，是跑男粘球等等。可事实上球哥上半场只得到2分3个助攻，3分球3投0中。

The obvious reality is that the "Running Man" and Lonzo Ball don't mesh well. In fact, the "Running Man" doesn't mesh well with most guards who lack a consistent shooting ability. The "Running Man" is essentially a large point guard, and the Lakers need a 3-and-D type point guard, or someone like Kyrie Irving who can handle the ball and shoot.

As he gets older, his skills improve, but no matter how talented and disciplined he is, his stamina is declining year by year. This is an objective law; no one can truly defeat Father Time. Therefore, he can no longer handle the ball for the entire court like he did during his time with the Heat. He needs a secondary ball-handler to lighten his load and allow him to have the energy to carry the team in crucial moments!

But it's clear that this secondary ball-handler isn't the type like Lonzo Ball. Ball's playmaking ability is miles ahead of Irving's, but Irving's jump shot alone is a level Ball will never reach. A guard without shooting ability isn't suitable to play alongside a running man; this has been proven over the years.

In the third quarter, the Running Man team tried to close the gap early and did score quite a few points, but they still couldn't turn the tide.

To make matters worse for Lakers fans, Running Man clutched his groin after a drive to the basket, looking like he was in great pain.

He was then helped off the field by his teammates and did not return for the rest of the match.

Jia Fei remembered that in his previous life, a member of the Running Man cast suffered a major injury this season, apparently a groin injury, which ended his season.

Without the Running Man cast, the Lakers lost their core and their performance plummeted...

Ultimately, the Clippers defeated the Lakers on the road, winning this Los Angeles derby.

Lakers fans are all concerned about the injury of the "Running Man" player. If the "Running Man" player's injury is really serious, they will probably have a hard time maintaining their current fifth place in the Western Conference, and their goal of returning to the playoffs after many years will be in vain.

The Clippers won this game, securing their second consecutive victory and bringing their record to 31 wins and 4 losses, maintaining their position as the league's number one team.

A day later, the Clippers played the Spurs in a back-to-back game at home.

凭借着贾飞的40+11+12+5+4，快船主场力克对手，报了之前被对方终结连败的一箭之仇。

With that, the Clippers' 2018 season is over. With a record of 32 wins and 4 losses, a near-perfect performance, they have come to an end in 2018!

January 1, 2019...

According to the Lakers' team doctor, the player is seriously injured in a groin injury and is basically out for the rest of the season.

The news sent Lakers fans into a frenzy...

For Clippers fans, whether their star player is injured or not is irrelevant; even if the Lakers' star player were healthy, they would never be a true match for the Clippers. The Clippers' only real rivals in the West are the Rockets and Warriors, while the Raptors and 76ers in the East are barely considered opponents.

On the evening of January 1st, the Clippers hosted the Philadelphia 76ers.

Lin Ning was present to watch the match as usual.

Thanks to Jia Fei's 47 points, the Clippers defeated their opponent at home, achieving their third consecutive victory.

With the season nearing its halfway point, the Clippers' record this season is significantly better than the same period last year, largely because they didn't have to endure the painful adjustment period. Furthermore, Paul George is healthier and in better form this season. With Jia Fei's post-up skills improving since last season, the Clippers are clearly stronger overall than last season.

The Clippers also hold a record this season: they haven't lost a home game. All four of their losses this season have been away games.

This also explains why the Clippers won all the games Lin Ning attended, because she attended all of the Clippers' home games.

On January 4th, the NBA officially announced the results of the first round of fan voting for the 2019 All-Star Game.

With 1885756 votes, Jia Fei is far ahead of the entire league, and it seems only a matter of time before he becomes the league's top vote-getter for the third consecutive season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is leading in the Eastern Conference votes, and he is also third in the league votes, behind only Jia Fei and Running Man.

Jia Fei's teammate Paul George is ranked 6th in the Western Conference and has a chance to start in the Charlotte All-Star Game.

On the evening of January 4th, the Clippers easily defeated the Suns on the road, achieving their fourth consecutive victory.

Two days later, the Clippers easily defeated the Magic at home, achieving their fifth consecutive victory.

After a 5-game winning streak, the Clippers' record stands at 35 wins and 4 losses, maintaining their position at the top of the league.

On January 8th, the Clippers will host the Hornets. The entire Hornets team arrived in Los Angeles on the 7th. That evening, Jia Fei treated his good friends Kemba Walker and Lamb to dinner.

At the dinner table, Kemba Walker asked meaningfully, "Jay, you've got something going on lately!"

"What's going on?" Before Jia Fei could react, Art Mayor asked first.