NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 274 The Desire to Attack Fluctuates

Blake Griffin isn't just good at dunking. If you think that's all he can do, then you definitely don't understand basketball. The one who can only dunk is DeAndre Jordan, not him.

Some fans like to label star players. For example, Blake Griffin is "a short-armed forward who can only dunk", Running Man is "the Eight Steps of the Heavenly Dragon", Kobe is "a lone wolf who can only miss shots", and Harden is "a big-butt guard who can only flop".

In fact, these can be considered as flaws of the aforementioned stars, but it cannot be said that they only know these things.

As a power forward, Blake Griffin is incredibly well-rounded on offense. Unlike typical power forwards who rely on a single skill type like stretching or rebounding, he possesses four key attributes: rebounding, spacing, ball-handling, and playmaking. His rebounding has always been excellent; despite his short arms, he has great strength and jumping ability, making him a perfect fit with DeAndre Jordan. He can shoot mid-range and three-pointers—not infallible, but opponents absolutely dare not leave him open; he can attack with the ball, possessing excellent dribbling skills—while lacking in aesthetics, his dribbling is highly effective; he is a master playmaker among power forwards, and double-teaming him is an extremely dangerous option. His playmaking ability is comparable to Chris Webber during his time with the Sacramento Kings.

What are his weaknesses?

His biggest weakness is defense. As a beast-type forward, his physical attributes are average; he has a large head and short arms, and his actual height is likely exaggerated. His defensive range is limited, and his footwork isn't particularly agile, making him ineffective when switching to defend the perimeter. His rim protection is insufficient, preventing him from single-handedly anchoring the team's interior defense. His help defense and rotation awareness are average, his one-on-one defense is mediocre, and he lacks defensive energy and initiative.

His second biggest weakness is that while he can play a wide range of skills, he lacks a killer offensive weapon. This is somewhat similar to Garnett; he can do a lot, but when it comes to crucial moments, his ability to break through defenses is insufficient. This is also why the Clippers have consistently failed to truly break through in the playoffs. When you need to rely on a 183cm man with a serious knee injury in crucial playoff moments, how far can your team go?

The city was known as "Lob City" during the regular season, with dunks flying everywhere. But in the playoffs, it got stuck in a quagmire and looked completely bewildered. This is not an exaggeration; it is a true reflection of the situation.

Five minutes into the first quarter, the Hawks trailed by three points, with the score at 10:13.

Jia Fei didn't seem to have a strong offensive drive; he played like a blue-collar worker.

Barkley immediately started complaining: "Kenny, look at Jia Fei's performance. I told you, he only goes all out against weak teams, and disappears against strong teams!"

Kenny Smith is laughing; Barkley's perspective on Black people is always so fresh.

PS: Lillard and Aldridge: "Say it again, we're a weak team?"

58 dribbles the ball high up, dribbling steadily. His dribbling is really steady. With his height of 183cm, low center of gravity, and excellent ball protection, it's really, really hard to steal the ball from him.

For domestic point guards, the Cavaliers' role model for ball protection should be 58. They shouldn't overly imitate the flashy and elegant ball handling of Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry. Protecting the ball and avoiding basic mistakes should be the top priority.

DeAndre Jordan sets a screen, 58 slowly walks towards the free throw line, and DeAndre Jordan cuts to the basket!

Suddenly, 58 tossed the ball into the air...

DeAndre Jordan leaped high and slammed the ball into the basket!

At 10:15, DeAndre Jordan has made both of his shots, a staggering 100% shooting percentage!

But that's understandable, since you only dunk, your shooting percentage is no match for other people's shooting accuracy.

What makes DeAndre Jordan better than players like Omer Asik and Gao Yuanyuan is his exceptional finishing ability. Sometimes, when there's no clear opportunity, the playmaker tosses the ball into the air, and he single-handedly creates a chance from a vertical angle.

"Easy catch rate" is often overlooked, but it is actually a very important technical indicator for an inside player who lacks ball-handling offensive ability but doesn't slack off.

The worst thing for a blue-collar center is butterfingers. They keep spitting out the easy baskets that are practically in their mouths. Who can stand that?

Hawks are on offense, Teague's layup was blocked by DeAndre Jordan!

After blocking Teague's shot, DeAndre Jordan displayed his kingly demeanor. The man who once played in the Green Room has now become a successful second-round pick in the league.

Cheers erupted from the Staples Center crowd. The men of Lob City aren't just good at alley-oops, they can also block shots!

A middle-aged or elderly white man sat on the sidelines, clapping. He was dressed very casually in a shirt and suit pants, but those who knew him would know that he was incredibly wealthy; he was none other than Steve Ballmer, the Clippers' new owner.

Ballmer is the former CEO and president of Microsoft, with a net worth of hundreds of billions. He is a kind man who is approachable and down-to-earth!

Following the Sterling incident, Steve Ballmer acquired the Clippers in 2014, becoming the team's new owner.

When asked why he chose to acquire the Clippers, Ballmer said, "When the Sterling incident came to light, my second son, who was in college at the time, told me, 'Dad, you have to get involved. The Clippers will definitely be sold.' I love Los Angeles. I'm retired. It's always rainy in Seattle, and the idea of ​​coming to Los Angeles in the winter was very appealing. So we seized the opportunity."

58 dribbles on a counter-attack, passes to Barca who's making a quick run down the frontcourt!

However... Jia Fei stole the ball with lightning speed, brought it over, slowed down near the three-point line, faced Shabazz, and suddenly accelerated with a change of direction!

Duanfen stumbled and almost fell over!

Jia Fei was like a Chinese sword, piercing straight into the heart of the Clippers! He strode towards the basket, and DeAndre Jordan had completely abandoned Horford to come over and protect the rim, while 58 also came over to help defend, ready to steal the ball!

Jia Fei showed no intention of passing the ball at all, and Horford was already open in the bottom corner.

Facing DeAndre Jordan, Jia Fei jumped on one foot and soared high into the air...

DeAndre Jordan also made contact with Jordan in mid-air, but the referee did not blow the whistle.

Jia Fei leaned against DeAndre Jordan, passed under his arm, and made a skillful layup...

The ball hits the backboard and goes in!

A gasp of amazement rippled through the crowd. This play perfectly showcased Jia Fei's speed and hang time; he had actually won the aerial contest against DeAndre Jordan, leaving everyone in awe.

12:15, the score difference is still 3 points!

"Jia Fei didn't pass the ball to Al Horford in the corner. What was he thinking? Was he trying to be a hero at Staples Center?" Barkley in the commentary booth didn't seem very satisfied.

Kenny Smith is really something else. If he passes the ball, you say he doesn't have the superstar quality and doesn't dare to go up on his own. If he doesn't pass, you say he's trying to be a hero. So he can't be right no matter what!

The Clippers were on offense when 58 tried to feed the ball to DeAndre Jordan again, but Horford anticipated the move and swatted the ball away!

Teague gets the ball and launches a counter-attack, passing to Jia Fei in the middle!

Jia Fei made a dash through the middle, a one-man fast break down the frontcourt, pushed past Barye who was defending him, and slammed the ball in with one hand!

At 14:15, Jia Fei narrowed the gap with two brilliant individual attacks.

Clippers head coach Doc Rivers appeared very calm on the sidelines. He was just as calm when the Clippers were leading 3-1 in the playoffs and then tied 3-3, so he was even more composed now.