In a recent basketball match between Guangdong and Liaoning, Guangdong suffered a defeat at the hands of Liaoning, despite the absence of key players Zhao Jiwei and Zhang Zhenlin from Liaoning's lineup. The game marked the hundredth encounter between the two teams, with Guangdong ultimately losing in Shenyang. Throughout the match, Guangdong appeared to be on the defensive, struggling against Liaoning's flexible tactics, which included both zone defense and man-to-man defense. Coach Du Feng seemed to have few options to counter these strategies, resulting in Guangdong being "technically knocked out" by Liaoning.
Analysts have pointed out that the root cause of Guangdong's loss was their lack of a reliable scoring guard, particularly in the crucial fourth quarter when no one could step up to score. Guangdong did have a small foreign guard, Les, who had been officially signed and was on the roster for the game. However, he mysteriously did not play, leaving Xu Jie isolated and without support once again. After the game, Guangdong's team reporter, Guan Xin, revealed that Les had a falling out with the team and did not even show up at the arena that night, let alone participate in the game!
Guan Xin disclosed during a live broadcast that Les had shown noticeable attitude problems during training and matches. Despite Du Feng registering him for the game, Les claimed to have an emergency before the match and did not appear at the venue. Guangdong is known for its strict management of foreign players in the CBA, never allowing troublemakers to disrupt team discipline. Notably, big-name foreign players like Beasley and Boozer became model players after joining Guangdong, demonstrating Du Feng and Zhu Fangyu's effectiveness in handling foreign talent. However, Les dared to use an excuse to avoid playing, and if this is true, it is certain that Guangdong will terminate his contract immediately. Since Les was only a temporary player, having signed a short-term contract of just one month with Guangdong, cutting him now would result in minimal loss. However, Zhu Fangyu's decision to hire Les, who had no prior CBA experience, has backfired, not only failing to produce results but also undermining the team's atmosphere.
Some fans have expressed understanding of Les' actions. After arriving in Dongguan, Les underwent more than a week of trial training before signing with the team. He only played in two games, accumulating less than six minutes of playing time, with two missed shots, no points scored, and only one rebound and one steal. Having traveled a long distance to Guangdong, he found that the coach did not trust him; after a week of trials, his playing time was minimal. As a foreign player, he received less status and playing time than some marginal local players. Who would be content with such a situation? Many Guangdong fans felt that Du Feng was too stubborn, believing that even if Les was not performing well, he was still better than some local players like Zhang Wenyi. Why not give him a chance to relieve some pressure for Xu Jie as a substitute? With Les' recent outburst, Du Feng undoubtedly bears significant responsibility!