NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 451: A Six-Game Winning Streak Begins

While it's fair to say Jia Fei wasn't the one who strongly advocated for trading DeAndre Jordan, strictly speaking, it was a joint idea between him and the "Logo Man" (a nickname for a player known for his aggressive tactics). Jordan was no longer a good fit for the Clippers' long-term development; he wasn't part of the team's future plans, making trading him a top priority.

Jia Fei won't face any moral pressure for trading DeAndre Jordan. The NBA is a business; while there's sentiment and pride involved, ultimately, everyone must abide by the rules of a commercial league. DeAndre Jordan can choose to leave when his contract expires, and the team can trade him while he's still under contract—it's fair to both sides. You don't have a no-trade clause, so the team can trade you. The team hasn't promised to play with you until retirement, so neither party bears any legal or moral responsibility.

After defeating the Mavericks at home, the Clippers improved their record to 5 wins and 2 losses, temporarily ranking 5th in the Western Conference. Beating the relatively weak Mavericks isn't something to be particularly proud of, but judging from the game, the changes the team made after their internal meeting were correct. Their morale is better than before, and the team is moving in the right direction, slowly regaining their confidence.

On November 5th, the Clippers will continue to host the Grizzlies at home.

In this game, both teams played the kind of defense that was common in the early 2000s. Ultimately, the Clippers relied on the performances of Jia Fei and Paul George in the crucial moments to defeat their opponents at home and achieve their second consecutive victory.

Eight regular season games have been played so far. The Clippers' defense has only been breached in the game against the Warriors at the end of October. In the other games, their defense has been very strong. Currently, their defensive efficiency per 100 possessions ranks first in the league. Even though their offensive system is still being established and the players are still getting used to each other, their defensive power is already beginning to show results.

In today's league, NBA teams almost universally rely on perimeter offense, and the Clippers' strength lies precisely in their perimeter defense. Their interior defense lacks absolute height and toughness, especially their starting lineup. The white duo of Olynyk and Gallinari is more of a bluff than a true interior powerhouse; even both of them combined are ineffective against them. But the league is no longer in the era of interior dominance; it's in the era of guards and forwards.

On November 6, the Clippers will host the Heat in a back-to-back game at home.

In this game, thanks to Jia Fei's triple-double and Paul George's 30 points, the Clippers defeated their opponent at home and achieved a three-game winning streak.

Two days later, the Clippers defeated the Spurs on the road, achieving their fourth consecutive victory.

Facial paralysis player was injured in the playoffs last season when Zaza Pachulia tripped him, ending his season prematurely. Not only was he out for last season, but it's rumored he'll likely miss this season as well. Zaza Pachulia has really done a disservice; Facial paralysis was already a floor-based player, and now he's become a pure floor-based player.

Without Aldridge, the Spurs simply can't beat the Clippers on their own. Coach Budenholzer, facing his former mentor Popovich, is giving him a taste of what it's like to have a winning hand. So even the best coach will struggle to win without a strong hand. Imagine someone else has a flush, and you're stuck with 8910QK – what a joke!

The Clippers may not have a straight flush, but even if they do, calling your number would be a crushing defeat.

On November 11th, Singles' Day in China, and the Jack Ma Shopping Festival, the Clippers faced the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder missed out on Paul George this summer, but they did manage to acquire Melo in a trade. The combination of Westbrook and Melo seems to be working out reasonably well.

However, Carmelo Anthony is no longer the same young Anthony he was with the Nuggets, and his partnership with Russell Westbrook doesn't seem to have the same chemistry anymore. As a result, the Thunder's performance this season doesn't seem to have improved significantly compared to last season.

In this game, Westbrook recorded a triple-double, and Jia Fei also recorded a triple-double, but the Clippers easily defeated their opponents on the road, achieving a five-game winning streak.

The following day, the Clippers narrowly defeated their reserves in a back-to-back road game, extending their winning streak to six games.

After a six-game winning streak, the Clippers' record improved to 10 wins and 2 losses, moving them up to third place in the Western Conference.

During their six-game winning streak, the Clippers players' chemistry has improved even further, and the team's defense remains excellent, making them even stronger overall.

On November 14, the Clippers returned to their home court to face the Philadelphia 76ers, a strong team in the Eastern Conference.

The reason they're described as a strong team in the East rather than a bottom-feeder is because the Philadelphia 76ers have shown signs of resurgence this season. They currently hold the third-best record in the East, and judging from their games and player performances, this doesn't seem like a sudden surge from a bottom-feeder team.

Moreover, the 76ers have been tanking for years, and their tanking is truly thorough, unlike some teams that are hesitant, wanting to tank but afraid of a decline in player numbers affecting revenue. They are genuinely tanking. Years of tanking have also given them a large pool of high-draft-selection players, but unfortunately, many of these talented players haven't been able to live up to their potential, due to physical issues, rapid changes in the meta, or various other reasons.

However, due to the large number of talented men, some of them have earned their reputation through hard work and are qualified to be the cornerstone of a team, such as "The Great" Embiid and "Left-Handed Magic" Ben Simmons.

On the evening of the 14th, at the Wachovia Central Stadium.

The 76ers are a long-established team in the NBA. When they were first founded, they didn't have their home court in Philadelphia, nor were they named the 76ers; instead, they were called the Syracuse Nationals. Founded in 1937, the Syracuse Nationals joined the NBA in 1949 following the merger of the NBL and ABB.

In the 1954-55 season, Dolph Schayes led the team to the championship. In the 1966-67 season, Wilt Chamberlain led the team to the championship. In the 1982-83 season, Moses Malone led the team to the championship. In addition, they won nine other conference championships. In 1963, they moved to Philadelphia, replacing the departing Philadelphia Braves (who moved to San Francisco in the 1962-63 season), and changed their name to the Philadelphia 76ers to commemorate the signing of the American Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in 1776.

This team has three NBA championships. Many young fans think that the 76ers' best achievement was when Iverson led the team to the Finals in 2001, which is ridiculous.

Tonight, the Wachovia Center was filled with many familiar faces to 76ers fans. Allen Iverson, Julius Erving, and Dikembe Mutombo are all former 76ers legends and stars who have now retired from the league.

Many fans only know that Dikembe Mutombo once played for the Rockets and was Yao Ming's backup, but in fact he also played for the 76ers, won the Defensive Player of the Year award, and went head-to-head with Shaquille O'Neal in the Finals. He is a very famous defensive center in NBA history.

76ers head coach Brett Brown is also an assistant coach for the Spurs and a former colleague of Clippers head coach Mike Budenholzer. The two greeted each other as soon as they met.