At present, the CBA regular season is more than halfway through, as the saying goes, "some are happy and some are sad." Xiamen, Jinjiang, and Zhejiang occupy the top three positions, followed closely by Xinjiang, Liaoning, and Shandong. However, this season, two championship contenders, Beijing and Guangdong, have started strong but gradually drifted away from their goals...
【Beijing Shougang】 Keyword: "Man-Made Calamity"
With a record of 16 wins and 7 losses, Beijing Shougang has fallen from being the league's "leader" at the beginning of the season to now ranking 7th in points, which was unexpected for everyone. From the heavy investment in the summer to the fanfare before the season, and now to the silence, it all seems like a "man-made calamity."
"Man-Made Calamity" ① Zhou Qi's "Fishing Three Days, Drying the Net Two"
Zhou Qi spent 177 days recuperating from injuries in the summer, took a break for 55 days due to an ankle sprain, and rested for another 16 days due to a cold. The "Great Demon King" Zhou Qi, signed at great expense, has only played 7 games for Beijing Shougang this season, with a total playing time of 172 minutes. Beijing Shougang originally wanted to sign Zhou Qi to recreate the glory of "three championships in four years," but now it seems that they can't rely on him at all. It's a pity that Beijing Shougang has become such a "big sucker"...
"Man-Made Calamity" ② All Three Foreign Players "Misjudged"
Everyone in the league knows that Beijing Shougang is not short of money, but everyone also knows that the three foreign players selected by Shougang were "misjudged." Jeremy isn't a championship-level foreign player, which is undeniable; Omore is just a "loose cannon"; as for Solomon, he was originally intended to be a "cheap option" to step in when the "Great Demon King" takes a break to wipe his sweat.
"Man-Made Calamity" ③ Xu Limin's "Half-Step Delay"
The team implements "semi-militarized" management, and Xu Limin does an impeccable job. However, on the court, the deployment of troops and generals is "randomly paired," and the response to the situation is "half a step late." He doesn't call a timeout when trailing 20-0, and after losing, there are various "planned outcomes," as well as the "spiritual victory method" at press conferences. The former national-level coach is still clinging to those "old records"...
【Guangdong Hongyuan】 Keyword: "Natural Disaster"
For Guangdong, with a regular-season record of 13 wins and 11 losses, ranking 9th in the standings, this is their worst performance in recent years. Why did the once "Eleven-time Champion" suddenly falter? The reason is simply two words: "natural disaster"...
"Natural Disaster" ① Investors' Tight Pockets
It's said that the team management doesn't introduce strong domestic support and finds foreign players who are one worse than the other, but only Zhu Fangyu knows the real reason. Due to the investor encountering a financial crisis, the team's investment has severely shrunk. Being able to survive at present is already very difficult. With only "a few melons and jujubes" in hand, it's impossible to find a "Goodwin." Stop saying that Bazley is "watered down"; his performance matches the "two taels of silver" in his hand...
In today's professional leagues, if you have money, you can be willful; if you don't, you have to accept your fate!
"Natural Disaster" ② Injuries
As the saying goes, "when the house leaks, it rains all night," and this is indeed the case. Since the start of the season, Guangdong's squad has never been truly complete. Almost all the main players have been injured. Now, the "star player" Hu Mingxuan is still uncertain about his return due to injury. A Guangdong team with Hu Mingxuan and without him are two completely different teams. Just look at Liaoning without Zhao Jiwei to understand the difference...
Shougang and Hongyuan are drifting away from their goals, one due to "man-made calamity" and the other to "natural disaster." If Beijing Shougang wants to return to the ranks of championship contenders, it can only happen if Zhou Qi's mind and body recover (omitting 300 words here), in addition to Xu Limin keeping up with the times and the three foreign players being "swept away." As for Guangdong Hongyuan to strike back later, they probably have to wait until the investor's empty pockets fill up again...