NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 636 The window to winning the championship is basically closed.

The Rockets tried to double-team Jia Fei, but their rotations couldn't keep up, making them vulnerable to being outplayed by the Clippers' five-outside lineup. Westbrook's one-on-one defense is adequate as long as he doesn't guard speedy players; he's strong, aggressive, and generally can't be easily overpowered in the paint. However, his off-ball defense is ineffective, his rotations are slow, and he easily leaves his man open.

Harden goes without saying; you rarely see him chasing after off-ball players all over the place. But the Clippers always have the players they defend play off-ball, running around to wear him down and create opportunities for him to shoot.

Harden couldn't find anyone he could really defend well, so he finally found a defender, and that was Dillon.

Dillon's three-point shooting is the most inconsistent among the Clippers' starters. You don't have to run around all the time to defend him. Sometimes when he wants to shoot, just let him go. Anyway, he's not going to kill anyone with his three-point shooting.

But unfortunately, Dillon had a good shooting night and caught the wave... and Harden didn't guard Dillon much, resulting in Dillon hitting 5 three-pointers in a single game, becoming another key player in the Rockets' massacre...

Can you bear this?

Westbrook was firing away in the low post, but it wasn't enough to change the tide. The Clippers won another game, taking a 2-0 lead in the series...

The point difference in this game was smaller than the previous one, but the Rockets still saw no hope. On the contrary, this game made them and their fans even more desperate, because the team had made adjustments, but was still suppressed by the opponent.

Unlike the Clippers, who have an incredibly deep bench with many players, the Rockets have a small roster and no room for adjustment.

In this situation, trying to achieve the desired effect by changing formations is almost a pipe dream.

It's like their overall strength is already inferior to the other team, and they're even having their cards handed to them by a third party. If they still want to win this match, they'll be lucky to escape!

PS: Pighead: "Open-ended tactic? I know this one like the back of my hand!"

D'Antoni has always favored short rotations. The advantage of this approach is that it maximizes the abilities of core players, keeps them at peak performance, and eliminates some uncertainties. However, the biggest problem with this short rotation is that everything is on the table, making it easy for opponents to counter if they have enough personnel to deploy.

In this game, Jia Fei continued his efficient performance, recording 28 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, 8 steals, and 4 blocks, achieving another triple-double. This marks his second consecutive triple-double. Many players who consistently rack up triple-doubles in the regular season struggle to achieve them in the playoffs, but Jia Fei continues to do so, making him the envy of many.

Eight steals is Jia Fei's new playoff single-game steal record. He has broken his personal playoff record in two consecutive games. Now he is not only pursuing his first three-peat, but also constantly breaking his personal records, making him a "walking data machine".

With a 2-0 lead in the series, the Clippers are in a very favorable position.

The Rockets were completely outmatched, and those who had previously boasted that the Thunder's second and third brothers would teach their old underlings a lesson were now silent. So who exactly is the underling?

Game 3 of the Clippers vs. Rockets series on September 9th.

Neither side has changed their starting lineup. The Rockets seem determined to stick with this lineup and fight the Clippers to the bitter end, even if it means their own destruction.

While such courage is commendable, the NBA is a competitive sport where skill reigns supreme, and being bad at it is the original sin.

Like Westbrook, he is indeed passionate! So passionate, he's practically a man born for passion. But he just can't do it. His abilities are simply no longer enough to carry the core of a championship team. That's the stark reality.

Even Harden, who is now 31 years old, has declined to varying degrees compared to previous seasons, although the decline is not as dramatic as Westbrook's.

In this game, the Rockets made adjustments on the offensive end. Westbrook continued to attack the basket, while Harden increased his off-ball movement, allowing the round-faced Harden to handle the ball more often, thus avoiding double-teams for Harden, just like when Jia Fei was double-teamed.

The problem is that the round-faced Deng's ball-handling threat is not as good as Harden and Westbrook's, and Harden's off-ball ability is not as good as Jia Fei's!

Moreover, the Clippers defend off-ball very well, with strong defensive capabilities at every position. Even if Harden gets a one-on-one opportunity, he may not be able to quickly finish the game.

It's true that Harden has become a superstar during his years with the Rockets, developing two signature moves: the face-up step-back jumper and the Euro-step pump fake. However, as a perimeter superstar, he has a weakness that, while not exactly a flaw, is that he requires a lot of preparatory movement on offense. For example, he needs to constantly dribble and adjust when he has the ball. It's not that he can't launch a fast break after receiving the ball, but he's not used to it, and it makes him much less threatening.

Later versions of Kobe and Jordan were different; they held onto the ball less, simplifying their offense considerably. They would typically get to the sweet spot, receive the ball, and finish the attack with a turnaround jump shot. It was decisive, simple, and efficient.

Harden's characteristics require him to handle the ball a lot, but when he does, he gets double-teamed. His passes to other players aren't threatening enough, and when the score falls behind, he has to force his way to the basket, thus creating a vicious cycle.

Jia Fei is often double-teamed, but when he is double-teamed, he is willing to act as an off-the-ball shooter like Korver Redick, drawing away the opponent's defensive resources. Sometimes he will choose to act as a screener for his teammates, confusing the opponent.

Why is Curry so hard to defend? Because he's always running off the ball!

A star player with excellent shooting ability is willing to run off-ball, which is the hardest thing to defend. If you don't know how to defend him and double-team an off-ball player, you'll be severely punished!

The process of the match was somewhat similar to the second match, but it was not as good as the second match.

The Clippers were prepared for Westbrook's back-to-the-basket play. They gave him mid-range and three-pointers, then let him go to the basket, where Jia Fei helped defend and blocked his shot!

In this game, Jia Fei delivered another 8 blocks, including 4 to Westbrook, leaving Westbrook completely bewildered.

120-108, the Clippers win another game, taking a 3-0 lead in the series...

At this stage of the series, even a fool could see who would ultimately advance. The management of teams interested in Rockets players were already quietly studying their contracts...

If the Rockets are eliminated, they will most likely choose to trade these players. Harden might not be on this list, but what if he insists on leaving?

If a superstar really wants to leave, you can't stop them!

Even if Harden doesn't leave, Westbrook will most likely not stay with the Rockets next season. Not only will Westbrook not stay, but role players like Harden are also likely to leave. These players entering the trade market will attract the interest of many teams.

The Rockets' championship window is practically closed. This team-building cycle can't be called a failure, it's just a pity.