At 14:10 in the afternoon, Yang Ming led his team to safely land in Changchun, Jilin, in preparation for the away game against the Jilin team.
The much-anticipated new foreign player of Liaoning Basketball Team, Patton, also arrived in Changchun with the team. It is expected that he will make his debut for Liaoning in the match against Jilin.
Regarding Patton's clearance letter, there was a delay due to personal reasons, including the birth of his child. This caused an issue as the registration period had crossed into the new year, necessitating a new clearance letter. However, this should be a straightforward process, with FIBA expected to send a new fax.
The match between Liaoning and Jilin is scheduled for January 4th, leaving ample time for Patton's debut.
To avoid any missteps against Jilin, Liaoning has urgently called up their core guard Zhao Jiwei and rookie Huang Qiushi for immediate support.
Zhao Jiwei and Huang Qiushi, accompanied by assistant coach Wu Naiqun, arrived in Changchun from Shenyang. Zhao Jiwei was seen wearing a hat and mask, taking precautions against the flu, which had previously caused Yan Shouqi to miss two games. Fortunately, after a few days of rest, Yan Shouqi appears to be in better condition and has joined the team in Changchun.
Zhao Jiwei's early arrival in Changchun suggests a high likelihood of his return to the court against Jilin. If he were only coming to cheer on his teammates, he could have arrived on the 3rd or 4th. His early arrival indicates the importance of training with new recruit Patton and fully preparing for the match against Jilin.
Considering that after facing Jilin, Liaoning will return home to face another championship contender, Guangsha, it is crucial for Zhao Jiwei, who is almost recovered from his throat issues, to regain his competitive edge through the match against Jilin, in preparation for the home game against Guangsha on the evening of January 6th.
With Patton's debut and Zhao Jiwei's return, Liaoning's tough times are officially over. They now await the return of Zhang Zhenlin and the arrival of their fourth foreign player, a versatile power forward, expected around mid-month. Kudos in advance to the Liaoning management and coaching staff for this addition.
Lastly, a brief analysis of Liaoning's second match against Jilin: I predict Liaoning will defeat Jilin and make up for the 12-point loss from their first encounter. What are your thoughts? Feel free to leave comments and join the discussion!