NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 163, Eastern Section 2

Jia Fei's assignment to guard Shumpert was indeed something he requested from Coach Budenholzer himself; he did this specifically to help guard Anthony. While Anthony's shooting is indeed better than Runner's, there's a significant gap between them in breaking double teams and in passing vision.

As for Shumpert, his three-point shooting is basically negligible; he's not much better than Tony Allen.

In the first quarter, Jia Fei didn't have much of an offensive presence, but his defensive impact was undeniable. He grabbed 3 defensive rebounds, made 1 steal, and blocked 1 shot in the quarter, repeatedly helping to defend Anthony in the paint and rotating to help out. He was a constant presence throughout the half.

The Hawks' defense became very resilient with Jia Fei's presence. The Knicks' offense was weak in the first half, and Anthony's monotonous isolation plays were inefficient. The team's offense was actually relying on JR to keep them going, which was quite regrettable.

At the end of the first quarter, the home team Hawks led by 3 points.

The score difference between the two teams wasn't large, but anyone who watched the game would have felt that the Hawks were simply having trouble making shots. Their offense, from initiation to ball movement to finishing, was more rational, creating numerous opportunities. In contrast, the Knicks relied more on isolation plays, giving the impression that they couldn't seem to score.

In the second quarter, Jia Fei began to increase his personal offense. Shumpert was fast and could steal the ball, so he used his height advantage to punish the opponent's attempts to penetrate with jump shots from mid-range and long-range. When the opponent was fully exposed, he started attacking the paint to attack the rim.

The Knicks' starting center is Bargnani, a man as soft as a noodle. It would be a waste not to aggressively attack a man like that guarding the paint. As for Anthony at the power forward position, he's never been a good defender since entering the league. He lacks rim protection, gets blown past on the perimeter, and while his one-on-one defense is passable, his help defense and rotations are abysmal.

In the second quarter, Jia Fei scored 10 points, helping the Hawks extend their lead to 9 points at halftime.

In the second half, the Knicks began to focus their attention on Jia Fei, but at this time the other Hawks players also found their rhythm. What was expected to be a tough battle turned into a three-quarter victory, leaving the fans in the arena exclaiming in surprise – "Is this even possible?"

The Hawks defeated the Knicks at home, securing their third consecutive win.

Jia Fei played less than 30 minutes in this game, scoring 19 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, dishing out 4 assists, making 2 steals, and blocking 1 shot, delivering an efficient and outstanding performance. However, what impressed people most wasn't his offense, but his defense. Whether it was limiting the opponent's key player one-on-one or helping defend the inside and outside, he was practically everywhere, making everyone feel the terror of an octopus-like perimeter defender.

After the game, Knicks star Carmelo Anthony admitted, "Jia Fei is a really special player. His defense is outstanding, and I'm pretty sure he can make the All-Defensive Team in the future."

Jia Fei had heard others praising his defense, but he knew his ambitions went beyond that. He wanted to make the All-Defensive Team, the All-NBA Team, and everywhere else!

PS: Sharapova: "Darling, come in quickly!"

Two days later, the Hawks easily defeated the Philadelphia 76ers at home, achieving their fourth consecutive win. A day later, they defeated the Knicks again on the road in a back-to-back game, achieving their fifth consecutive win.

After a five-game winning streak, the Hawks' record stands at 8 wins and 2 losses. In the 10 games played so far, their record is second only to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference.

The Hawks' outstanding record is quite unexpected. Before the season started, many were waiting to see them fail. They did indeed go on a free agency spree this year, but many experts believed that the free agents they acquired were of too low caliber, and they didn't get a single truly big name. But who would have thought that both Jia Fei and Millsson would play exceptionally well for the Hawks? They may not have superstar-level performances, but they fit perfectly into the team. Especially Jia Fei; those so-called experts who previously scoffed at the possibility of his contract becoming a bad deal have now fallen silent. Clearly, considering his current performance, his age, and his future growth potential, his four-year, $33 million contract signed this summer is undoubtedly a high-quality one.

Few people believe the Hawks can win the championship this season, but few would consider it an overestimation to predict that they will become a strong team in the East.

On November 20th, the Hawks visited Miami to challenge the defending champion Heat.

This game is considered a test of the Hawks' strength. The Heat are currently ranked 3rd in the Eastern Conference, while the Hawks are 2nd, but few people believe that the two teams' strengths match their rankings. It's similar to how the Pacers are currently ranked 1st in the Eastern Conference, but no one really believes they are stronger than the Heat.

In a pre-game interview, Heat's famous superteam player, DeAndre Azkaban, said he really likes the Hawks' games and admires the young player, Jia Fei. He hopes to play against him, enjoy the game, and experience the joy of playing against young players.

Judging from his statements, it's practically textbook perfect; you can't find a single flaw. But you might have a feeling, why does this guy never seem to speak his true feelings? Doesn't it seem a bit fake?

Chris Bosh, with his giraffe-like neck, spoke the truth: "Right now, everyone's saying the Hawks will be a strong contender for our title defense. I'm really curious to see what they're really made of. I want to kick their ass. Just you wait!"

When asked by a reporter what he thought of the match, Jia Fei smiled and said, "I want to see where our current strength stands. It's very meaningful to play against the championship team!"

Dwyane Wade was sidelined with an injury for this game, leaving LeBron James and Bosh to lead the Heat.

From the start of the game, the Hawks struggled to adapt to the Hawks' aggressive double-team defense that focused on the ball handler. This limited their usual pass-and-cut style of play, leading to numerous turnovers.

The Heat capitalize on turnovers by launching fast breaks and scoring, making it difficult for the defense to respond.

In half-court defense, the Heat used drive-and-kick to find outside shooters, which made the Hawks very uncomfortable. Korver was targeted and exploited, and the weaknesses of Mills and Horford in protecting the rim were magnified.

Jia Fei was assigned to defend James, but the latter used various pick-and-rolls to isolate him. If you double-teamed him, he would pass to outside shooters; if you switched, he would attack your inside. He also constantly targeted Korver, forcing you to double-team him.

Jia Fei also had a poor shooting night and committed 3 turnovers.

Ultimately, the Heat's balanced attack led to a resounding victory at home, ending their opponent's five-game winning streak.