NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 204 Hawks vs. Bulls

The Bulls' odds are similar to the Hawks' without Derrick Rose, which basically shows that in many people's eyes, Jia Fei is not yet a star who has proven himself in the playoffs.

Of course, he never really dominated in the playoffs; before, with the Thunder, he was just a role player.

2013-14赛季，贾飞的第3个赛季，他一共出场了74场比赛，首发74场。在场均34.7分钟的上场时间里，他场均得到22.9分6.7个篮板4.2次助攻2.1次抢断1.6个盖帽，还有1.2次失误和2.5次犯规，投篮命中率为49.1%，3分球命中为38.1%，罚球命中率为86.2%。

Compared to his average of 8.8 points per game last season, Jia Fei has made tremendous progress this season. Of course, there are objective reasons for this significant improvement; last season he only averaged 17.8 minutes per game, with a completely different amount of ball possession compared to this season. His all-around performance this season has demonstrated his true ability, proving he's not just a popular player.

His three-point shooting percentage has dropped slightly this season compared to last season, but the main reason is not that his shooting skills have deteriorated, but rather that he is taking more shots and the opponent's defense is tighter.

Many people have a misconception that players with a three-point shooting percentage over 40% are necessarily better shooters than those with around 38%. However, this is not the case; it also depends on volume and defensive pressure. The defensive focus of an opponent is completely different for a star player and a role player.

Despite the criticisms, the reason why Black Snake misses so many shots is not only because he likes to force one-on-one attacks, but also because of the opponents' focused defense.

Jia Fei is gradually becoming a star in the NBA this season, while his girlfriend Maria Sharapova made her comeback at the WTA Premier tournament in Brisbane, successfully reaching the semifinals and showing great form.

While Sharapova was busy competing in the tennis world, she stopped criticizing Jia Fei about whether he loved her or not. The two lived peacefully, each busy with their own affairs, and entered a period of harmony.

This experience gave Jia Fei the deepest realization: women must have their own careers, not necessarily big ones, but even a small, insignificant job is essential.

Even goddess-level women can cause trouble if they don't have jobs; the stark lessons before Jia Fei's eyes forced him to believe this truth.

The first game of the series between the Hawks and the Bulls will be played on April 21 at the United Center, the Bulls' home arena.

There's a lot of discussion about this series between the Hawks and the Bulls, both online and offline. The Bulls don't have Rose, but they still have Noah and Jimmy Butler.

During a talk show with his co-host Kenny Smith, Barkley stated his belief that even without Rose, the Bulls could still easily send the Hawks home. Jia Fei has never been a star player capable of leading a team to victory in a playoff series; he's just a regular season player. He has never proven himself a dominant force in the playoffs. Previously with the Thunder, he was merely a role player alongside Durant and Westbrook, never needing to shoulder a significant offensive burden, and he wasn't a primary defensive focus for opponents.

Barkley predicted a 4-1 victory for the Bulls. He believed the reason it wasn't 4-0 was because of Hawks power forward Paul Millsap, thinking Millsap could have a breakout game to help the team secure a win, no more.

Barkley's lack of confidence in the Hawks hasn't worried many Hawks fans; in fact, they're quite happy. This jinx is incredibly accurate! Pele in football, Barkley in basketball—two masters of jinxing—many of their picks have failed to live up to expectations.

Jia Fei doesn't care about predictions from Barkley or the like. If he believed those things, he should become a monk or a priest. These retired stars sometimes make outlandish statements not because they don't understand basketball or the situation, but often simply to gain attention and traffic.

In this regard, the self-media bloggers of a certain major Eastern country are the most adept at this approach.

The Hawks are preparing seriously for their series against the Bulls.

The coaching staff is incredibly busy. This is Coach Budenholzer's first NBA head coaching season, and naturally, his first playoff run as a head coach. He previously won a championship with the Spurs, but back then, Popovich was the head coach, and he only needed to provide support. Now, however, he has to make the final decisions on the team's game plans; his role is completely different.

The Hawks have begun preparing for the playoffs.

The players on this team last season were somewhat disappointed with the team's first-round exit, and this season, players like Teague are hoping to get past the first round. It's unrealistic for this team to win the championship immediately, especially without Horford.

Since entering the NBA, Jia Fei has never missed the playoffs. In his rookie season, he even helped his team reach the finals. So, in terms of playoff experience, at least in terms of the game, he has seen it all.

Of course, this is his first time participating in the playoffs in the East.

Everyone is training very hard, especially Art Mayok, who is looking forward to playing in the playoffs. Considering Horford's season is over, Antić's defense is poor and he fouls easily, and the old captain is too old, he feels he has a chance.

Jia Fei's catch-and-shoot technique while running alongside Korver, especially his catch-and-shoot three-pointer, is crucial. In the playoffs, scoring becomes more difficult; opponents will definitely target him with specific defenses, limiting his ability to receive the ball, his isolation plays, and his transition offense. He needs to capitalize on these fleeting opportunities, and his off-ball skills not only enhance his offensive repertoire but also create more scoring chances for his teammates.

On April 19, the entire Hawks team arrived in Chicago on a chartered plane to prepare for their first-round playoff game against the Bulls.

According to the schedule, the series will be a best-of-seven series, with Games 1 and 2 to be played at the Bulls' home court.

Chicago, the Windy City, is no stranger to Jia Fei. More than two years ago, he had a joint tryout here, and he still remembers teasing Derrick Williams, the then top draft pick, during the tryout.

Time flies, and now Derrick Williams has faded into obscurity, while he has become an All-Star player and a rising young talent.

At his hotel in Chicago, Art Mayor was very excited, doing push-ups and planks as if he had inexhaustible energy.

"Art, can you please be quiet? My eyes are getting blurry!" Jia Fei couldn't help but complain.

"Jay, I'm so excited! I'm about to play in the playoffs, which is my first time in my NBA career!" Art Mayork was still unable to calm down.

"Uh... then you can continue!" Jia Fei reluctantly opened his phone, and suddenly saw a news article about him!