In the 2024 CBA regular season, Shanghai men's basketball team has been in the limelight. After defeating Beikong, they have made great progress, winning 10 consecutive victories, with a record of 11 wins and 10 losses, ranking up to the 11th position. Behind this dark horse comeback is a key figure - Lofton, whose performance is amazing and has already changed the pattern of Shanghai men's basketball team.
Lofton, who once played against Wenyamamba, is only 1.98 meters tall, but his dominance in the paint is unrivaled. He is proficient in low-post offensive skills, and almost no one in the CBA can completely restrict him. Lofton is also a ball-handling forward. He often starts an attack from the baseline, whether it is from the high post to the low post, or from the top to the inside, he can move freely on the court. Moreover, Lofton also has excellent passing ability, whether it is a wide range of transfer balls or inside-to-inside passes to cutters, he handles them appropriately.
Lofton's role in Shanghai team is now clearly visible. In addition to his personal ability, he also plays a good role in activating his teammates. Wang Zhelin is a typical example. Before, Wang Zhelin was frustrated in the paint, facing double teams and limited space. But with Lofton's arrival, things are different. He is both inside and outside, attracting defense, creating plenty of space under the basket for Wang Zhelin, who can easily score. Not only Wang Zhelin, other players in the team with strong individual abilities also get more opportunities, and the whole team's offense is activated, with multiple points blooming.
Another important point is that Lofton perfectly fits the style of the CBA league. The NBA has a super fast pace and complex tactics, leaving little room for Lofton to show his skills. The CBA is different. The pace is slightly slower, focusing on inside confrontation, which suits Lofton's taste. He can fully exert his skills of inside strong attacks and assist passes, maximizing his tactical value.
According to statistics, after Lofton joined, Shanghai team's average score increased by nearly 15 points, and the proportion of inside scoring increased from 40% to 50%. These solid data are strong proof of his role.
For this player, netizens have expressed their opinions! Many netizens recognize Lofton's personal strength and generally believe that Lofton's appearance has brought significant changes to Shanghai men's basketball team. However, there are also netizens with different opinions, believing that Lofton is just a cast-off player from the NBA, and his success in China can only reflect how poor Chinese men's basketball really is!
Here, the editor has some opinions of his own! First of all, we must admit that there is a big gap between Chinese men's basketball and world men's basketball. Even if Jordan is invited, the huge gap between players makes it difficult for them to cooperate well. Secondly, although Lofton is in an awkward position in the NBA, his technical level is obviously higher than that of most Chinese men's basketball players. His joining is more likely to form tacit cooperation, which can play a strong leading weak effect, and can also make common progress, so as to develop steadily! Finally, looking at the actual situation, Lofton's arrival has indeed given Shanghai men's basketball team a qualitative leap in strength. His comprehensive ability and outstanding performance have given the team an absolute advantage in the paint. At the same time, he also created more offensive opportunities for other players in the team. Under the leadership of Lu Wei, Shanghai men's basketball team gradually found its way to win, and also saw the hope of winning the championship.
In short, Lofton has made Shanghai men's basketball team brand new, and the 10 consecutive victories are just the beginning. Whether he can really live up to everyone's expectations and become the second Marbury, creating a championship career, remains to be seen in his future performance.
Basketball fans, what do you think of Lofton's future? Hurry up and leave your comments in the comment section for discussion!
