NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 457 Bromance Again

Of the players from the 2011 NCAA championship roster, including Jia Fei, four are still in the league, along with Napier. They represent a very strong generation. Jia Fei, in particular, has become the first UConn MVP in franchise history, the first player in franchise history to achieve this.

This match was broadcast live on Tencent, with commentators Wang Zixing and guest Ma Jian providing commentary.

"Teacher Ma, Jia Fei, met his former teammates Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb. They have a really good relationship." Wang Zixing is a big fan of Jia Fei, and seeing Jia Fei happy makes him happy too.

“Jia Fei came from the University of Connecticut. He played in the NCAA, won a championship, and the players who won the championship with him had a very good friendship!” Ma Jian said, gesturing with his hands.

The starting lineups for both teams have been announced.

The Hornets' starting lineup for the home game is: Dwight Howard, Marvin Williams, Nicolas Batum, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Kemba Walker.

Dwight Howard has moved to the Hornets; he couldn't make it in his "hometown basketball" with the Hawks, so he's moved elsewhere. Predictably, he's now joining the ranks of "journeymen." In this league, there are no eternal champions; being great in the past doesn't guarantee you'll always be great. If you can't adapt your playing style to the times, you'll slowly be eliminated. Many people despise Dwight Howard for controlling his team, cultivating cronies, and going wherever he wants, but everyone wants that kind of power.

Marvin Williams was also a product of the Hawks. He had already left when Jia Fei went to the Hawks. He is a power forward with a simple playing style, all-around skills, no obvious weaknesses, but no killer moves. He is a piece of the puzzle type of player.

Nicolas Batum, dubbed the "French Pippen," has never averaged more than 20 points per game in his career. He's never been a reliable scorer; his biggest selling point is his excellent passing vision and well-rounded skills. Yet, for such a player, owner Michael Jordan slapped on a massive contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars. In hindsight, that contract is undeniably a terrible one. Moreover, to re-sign the "French Pippen," the Hornets even let go of Jeremy Lin, who helped them reach the playoffs. Jordan's player selection is truly appalling. Batum isn't useless; he's a good piece of the puzzle. But giving a piece of the puzzle a contract worth hundreds of millions is excessive. A player like that deserves a mid-level exception or slightly more. Giving him a max or near-max contract means you can't expect the team's salary cap to remain healthy. Building a team around Batum? What a joke!

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was also drafted by Michael Jordan, and he was the second overall pick. Just looking at his shooting form, you know he'll never become a great shooter. If player ability were measured by the length of their names, then he could rival Giannis Antetokounmpo. He's been in the league for several years, but his shooting has only gotten worse. He's an excellent defender with outstanding athleticism, but he just can't shoot. In this small-ball era where centers are expected to be able to stretch the floor, what's the ceiling for a wing player who can't shoot, no matter how good their defense is?

Kemba Walker is undoubtedly the true leader of this Hornets team. When he entered the league, the team was called the Bobcats, and now it's his seventh season. His teammates have changed time and again, but the team remains mediocre, even failing to make the playoffs last season. A star of his caliber leading a team without equally caliber supporting players—the team's ceiling is clearly visible.

The Hornets' starting five, if judged solely by draft order, consisted of Dwight Howard as the first overall pick, Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist as the second, and Kemba Walker and Scottie Pippen as lottery picks—a truly talented lineup. Unfortunately, Howard is past his prime, Marvin Williams has become a role player, and Kidd-Gilchrist's career is over. Only Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum are currently in their prime, but one has a limited ceiling, and the other is purely a support player.

The Clippers' starting lineup for this game is: Jia Fei, Beverley, Wesley Johnson, Gallinari, and Olynyk.

Paul George missed this game due to some tension in his hip. The team also values ​​George's physical condition, after all, he had previously suffered a serious leg injury. For the sake of long-term goals, the team is willing to intentionally "load-manage" him during the regular season.

Jia Fei agreed with this. The team's goal is not the regular season, but the playoffs. If they can't make it to the playoffs, then having the best record in the league during the regular season won't be that meaningful.

After the opening ceremony, the starting players from both sides took to the field.

Howard was still all smiles and laughter. He seemed completely carefree and without any worries. He was playing basketball for fun. Winning a championship was no longer important; being happy was the most important thing! Expecting to win a championship with the Hornets would be impossible unless Michael Jordan was 30 years younger and personally led the team.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's gaze towards Jia Fei was not friendly. Jia Fei was not a forgetful person. He knew that in order to accumulate anger points, he had ridiculed this second overall pick with his strange shooting form. It was normal for him to hold a grudge. After all, repaying evil with kindness is something that China advocates. Americans don't believe in this kind of thing.

“Teacher Ma, if Paul George doesn’t play today, won’t Jia Fei be under even more pressure?” Wang Zixing asked.

“That’s for sure. Although Paul George’s performance isn’t particularly consistent, he can help Jia Fei with the offense when he’s on the court. Wesley Johnson, who will start in his place, is just a role player and can’t do that,” Ma Jian said seriously.

Howard and Olynyk are preparing for the jump ball near center circle; the game is about to begin.

The jump ball began, and Howard won the jump ball against Olynyk, giving the Hornets the first possession.

Although Howard is over 30, he is still very good at jumping, while Olynyk, although born in the 90s, is a floor-based player.

Kemba Walker dribbled over and started the attack from the top of the key.

Beverley is primarily guarding Kemba Walker, and it's rare for Beverley to encounter an opponent he can effectively dominate.

Kemba Walker is said to be 183cm tall, but Jia Fei, his good friend, knows very well that the guy is at most 180cm. Claiming to be 183cm is the same kind of thinking as Allen Iverson back in the day.

Hornets head coach Clifford wants the Hornets to play like the Spurs, with players and ball moving around, but the question is, can the players on the court produce the same kind of teamwork as the Spurs?

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. While the Spurs players may not have exceptional physical talent, their basketball IQ is generally very high. Those with low IQ are either relegated to the bench or traded. Popovich has immense prestige within the Spurs; even Ginobili has to obediently play off the bench. He's the true decision-maker for the Spurs.

Coach Crawford led the team to a remarkable 48-34 record in the 2015-16 season, and the team thought they were on the fast track to success. However, they failed to make the playoffs the following season.