NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 453 2-meter-tall Ai in front of her idol

Covington is a 3-and-D player discovered by the 76ers. He can defend multiple positions, has good spot-up shooting ability, and is very well-suited to the current league. With the starting duo of Embiid and Simmons essentially sharing the ball, adding a 3-and-D player who doesn't require the ball is extremely necessary.

Beverley's ball-handling is very ordinary. He can dribble a bit, make a simple drive and dish, but that's about it. Don't expect him to be a playmaker at the top of the key, a cross-court pass, or orchestrate the team's offense. That's not his role. The 180cm+58kg guy who can do that is currently playing with the bearded player in Houston!

Beverley suddenly passed the ball to Jia Fei in the corner.

As soon as Jia Fei received the ball, Covington closed in, not giving him an easy chance to shoot.

Jia Fei made a fake move to break through to the baseline, then suddenly walked to the baseline with his left hand to break through, drawing the defender away before suddenly making a large crossover!

This move is very AI-like, reducing the constant shifting of the center of gravity under the legs and the pre-skill animation, making it simpler and more brutal. Combined with Jia Fei's height and wingspan, it gives people a more direct and explosive visual experience. Even Iverson himself on the sidelines was surprised and raised his chin, unable to help but applaud. Regardless of whether he can score in the end, this move is really cool!

Covington had anticipated that Jia Fei might change direction, but he didn't expect the other party to reprimand him so drastically. He couldn't regain his balance and could only hope that his teammates would help defend him!

But Jia Fei didn't give you a chance to help defend, and directly flashed out of space to make a mid-range jump shot!

2-2, both teams' star players have scored!

"My God, Jia Fei's move was so cool! He almost knocked Covington over!" Wang Meng exclaimed in the Tencent studio.

The 76ers continued to target Embiid, with him aggressively attacking the basket, and even after being helped on, he still chose to force his way through, but he missed!

Jia Fei grabbed the rebound and brought the ball over. Facing Covington's defense, he suddenly crouched down and accelerated while seemingly unconcerned!

Covington kept retreating, somewhat taken aback by Jia Fei's speed, and inevitably overreacted!

Jia Fei made a smooth stop, dribbled the ball between his legs, and then jumped to shoot – another one!

This is a move Iverson often makes—clean, efficient, and highly effective. But to achieve such a good result with this move requires extremely high speed, excellent coordination, and most importantly, a sufficiently accurate mid-range shot.

Many people criticize Iverson's low shooting percentage. His three-pointers are indeed inconsistent, but his mid-range shots are actually accurate. It's just that he is too short, so he needs to make multiple runs and shake off taller defenders to get a shot off. This reduces his shot opportunities, so his shooting percentage is naturally lower.

Actually, Iverson was born in the wrong era. His skill set was perfectly suited to the small-ball era. Initiating high pick-and-rolls and creating space for shooters meant he didn't need to rely on as many difficult moves and complex shots as he used to. What he needed to do was practice better at setting up cutters in the paint and distributing shots to perimeter shooters, as well as improving his three-point shooting ability. It's well known that his three-point shooting was highly dependent on his touch; when he was hot, he could make almost anything, but when he was cold, he would miss several shots in a row.

Jia Fei continued to score, leaving the 76ers fans in the stands somewhat helpless. It's not that Covington's defense was bad; in fact, he defended very well. But Covington just could score—that's the ability of a superstar. One-on-one defense is really difficult to contain.

Simmons dribbled over and used Sa's screen, but Jia Fei, who was defending him, went around Sa from behind.

Simmons didn't hit a pull-up three-pointer. If he had that ability, his role model wouldn't be Running Man, but Bird.

The Emperor is bends over again, asking for the ball, but this time not in the penalty area, but at the corners of the box.

Siddi passed the ball to the King, who then dribbled against Olynyk.

It has to be said that the Emperor is truly all-around. After a series of three threats, he made a one-on-one move against a group of guards and finally scored with a mid-range shot!

4-4, Jia Fei vs. Da Di, both teams' scores were scored by these two.

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

Jia Fei passed the ball to Olynyk in the high position, and Paul George and Olynyk handed the ball to each other.

The pickled peppers split at the bottom corner of Gallinari, and the latter splits at 45° Beverly.

Beverley's three-point attempt missed! Although the shot didn't go in, the play was executed clearly, the opportunity arose, and the ball passed through everyone's hands very smoothly. It has to be said that this team's offense is becoming increasingly cohesive.

The Clippers can employ individual play or a team-wide offensive strategy, switching between the two at will, and the key to this switching lies in Jia Fei's hands. Coach Buden trusts Jia Fei 100%; he clearly understands his player's adaptability.

Simmons grabbed the rebound and launched a fast break, using a feint to pass to Redick on the right wing!

Redick seized the opportunity and hit a three-pointer – and it went in!

4-7, the 76ers hit their first three-pointer of the game!

After hitting the three-pointer, Redick showed off three fingers to his former teammates, including Jia Fei. This gesture excited the fans at the Wachovia Center; this act of taking revenge on his former team is a very exciting highlight of the NBA.

Jia Fei smiled, a slight smile. He had won the coach's trust! Of course, the coach had always trusted him!

Beverley dribbled over and immediately passed the ball to Jia Fei. When it comes to playing alongside a senior player, Beverley is textbook-perfect. He doesn't fight for possessions, knows exactly what to do, plays tenaciously on defense, is always the first to engage in a fight, is known for biting, and is loyal to his teammates.

Jia Fei got the ball, and the crowd started to cheer.

The team was spread out in a 1-4 formation, and everyone seemed to have great chemistry. Aside from Beverley, only Jia Fei and Redick were teammates in last season's starting lineup. This provocation, of course, had to be avenged by the leader.

Covington kept his center of gravity low, prioritizing defense over shooting and penetration. It's a matter of trade-offs; against a star like Jia Fei, you can't expect to completely shut him down in a one-on-one situation—that's absolutely impossible.

Jia Fei held the ball with one hand, seemingly stalling for time, but no one thought he was out of options. His face remained confident, and the corners of his mouth were constantly turned up in a smile.

Covington saw the light shining in Jia Fei's eyes, a light that only an absolutely confident superstar possesses. This light was so dazzling that it was like a beacon guiding people in the darkness.

Suddenly, Jia Fei leaped high into the air, shooting a three-pointer with lightning speed...

Everyone present was astonished. They were surprised that he didn't make any preparatory movements, that he seemed to be completely dribbling without finding his rhythm, and that he hadn't even shaken off Covington's defender.

The sound of the ball hitting the target told everyone that none of this was necessary!