On the last day of 2024, two matches were held in the CBA, both of which resulted in upsets. The Fujian team, which had lost 15 consecutive games, defeated the Jiangsu team, securing their second win of the season and ending their long losing streak, which can be considered a minor upset. However, an even bigger upset occurred on another court, where the Shenzhen team, ranked third from the bottom, defeated the Zhejiang team, who were on a 10-game winning streak and were considered strong contenders for the championship. With this victory, Shenzhen's ranking jumped three places, rising from third from the bottom to fourteenth.
Why was Shenzhen able to defeat a stronger opponent? Commentator Yan Yufeng explained that Shenzhen won due to their rebounding and the defense of young player Lu Pengyu against Zhejiang's small foreign player, as they outrebounded their opponents by 23. Secondly, Willis played a crucial role in controlling the game in the key moments. Thirdly, Zhejiang lost due to injuries leading to personnel shortages and a lack of focus at the start of the game.
Here, I want to focus on Willis, who was abandoned by the Guangdong team but became a key player for Shenzhen. At halftime, Zhejiang trailed by 14 points, and the gap widened to over 20 points in the third quarter. However, in the latter part of the third quarter, Shenzhen suddenly went cold and experienced a scoring drought, with the lead shrinking to only 4 points, and the huge advantage they had built up disappeared. At this critical moment, the game remained suspenseful, and no one dared to declare victory. Which foreign player would Zheng Yonggang choose to play in the final quarter? This became a difficult decision for him. In the end, Zheng Yonggang decided to start the 38-year-old Willis to lead his teammates in the decisive quarter.
Willis had only scored 3 points in the first three quarters, but Zheng Yonggang still believed in his ability to control the game. Under Willis' organization and linkage, Shenzhen immediately widened the gap, returning the advantage to double digits. This old Willis really had some fuel left in the tank, playing organized and methodical, with fast-paced offense and defense, and precise passing, effectively countering the opponent's furious counterattack. Not only could Willis organize well, but he could also score himself, contributing 10 points in a single quarter, totaling 13 points and 7 assists for the game, becoming Shenzhen's most assistive player. The experienced player was very useful, and commentator Yan Yufeng continuously praised him.
After watching this game, Guangdong fans said that as fans of Hongyuan, they should feel ashamed. Shenzhen played with a solid fast break transition, while Hongyuan moved slowly like a snail, lacking the shadow of their past glory. Each play relied on a pick-and-roll, abandoning their once formidable fast breaks and counterattacks. What's the point of signing players if they don't use them?
Fans mocked Du Feng, suggesting that instead of comparing foreign players with wealthy teams, he should compare with local rivals Shenzhen and Guangzhou. These teams also found unsuitable foreign players but quickly replaced them with others who were not famous but worked hard and were proactive. Especially Shenzhen's big foreign player had high efficiency, and the small foreign guard also performed well in assists.
In contrast, the foreign players brought in by Du Feng and Zhu Fangyu were one worse than the other, having already cut Barton, Arms, and Les (who did not return to Dongguan after the away game in Liaoning). Du and Zhu's choices were like opening blind boxes, each time revealing subpar players, and even familiar faces were unwilling to be used. Willis has become a key player in two consecutive games, scoring double digits and contributing a total of 14 assists, leading the team to victories over Tianjin and ending Zhejiang's 10-game winning streak. He truly gets better with age. Currently, Du Feng has no small foreign players available, unable to open blind boxes or sign Willis. Now, are you in a hurry? Ji Ji and Xu Jie will surely be worn out by you. What do you think?