Guangdong Men's Basketball Team has been performing quite differently this season, causing fans to shake their heads in disbelief. The team that had consistently made it to the top four for 11 consecutive seasons is now struggling at ninth place, a situation that leaves veteran fans doubting their own eyes.
Jilunwater's recent form is exhausting to watch, with an average playing time nearing 40 minutes per game. This grueling schedule is particularly demanding for an interior player, leaving Du Feng with limited options as Xu Xin and Zhang Mingchi have been virtually invisible, receiving no playing time. This lack of rotation has made the interior play extremely challenging.
Morland's performance has been inconsistent, capable of scoring 20 points one game and failing to reach double digits in another. This unpredictability has made Guangdong's offense passive, especially when facing a strong interior team like Shandong, which adds to the concern.
Shandong's interior duo of Chris and Tao Hanlin is arguably the strongest in the CBA. Chris' dominance under the basket is unmatched, and Tao Hanlin's improvement is evident. This formidable partnership puts immense pressure on Guangdong's interior defense.
Du Feng's choices are currently quite limited. He must either continue to push Jilunwater to his physical limits or reactivate Xu Xin and Zhang Mingchi, but their previous underwhelming performances do not inspire much confidence.
If the interior issues are not resolved, it will be a pipe dream for Guangdong to progress far in the playoffs. After all, in basketball, the interior is the foundation, a fact that has never changed.
Xu Jie's situation mirrors Jilunwater's. Since Hu Mingxuan's injury, he has become the sole organizing core in the backcourt, with alarmingly high average playing time. This overuse is bound to lead to problems eventually.
Gao Shiyan, on the other hand, is in a completely different state. He appears at ease within Shandong's rotation system, with ample energy reserves, giving him more room to perform in games.
Whether Huang Rongqi and Zhang Wenyi can step up in critical moments to alleviate the pressure on Xu Jie could be a decisive factor in the game's outcome. However, from the current situation, these two substitute guards' performances are still not stable enough.
Lai's attitude issue is indeed surprising, considering his short tenure with the team. Such a situation has dealt a significant blow to Guangdong's morale.
Bazley's underwhelming performance is also perplexing. Despite being a capable foreign player, he fails to deliver at his expected level, significantly reducing Guangdong's offensive firepower.
Du Runwang and Zhang Haojia's performances are akin to riding a roller coaster, sometimes raining down three-pointers and other times being as cold as a brick. This inconsistency makes it difficult for the coaching staff to formulate reasonable tactical arrangements.
Shandong's current form is indeed commendable, with an 18-win, 7-loss record serving as solid proof. Coach Qiu Biao's coaching abilities have been fully demonstrated.
The team's overall strength is very strong, with consistent scoring points both inside and outside. Their defensive rotations and support are well-executed, which is why they rank third in the league.
In their first encounter, Shandong displayed their prowess with a score of 115 to 105, not a huge margin, but the game's flow was largely controlled by Shandong.
Although Guangdong is not as strong overall as Shandong, the advantage of playing at home may provide additional motivation from the home crowd's support.
CCTV's decision to broadcast this match highlights its significance, as not every regular-season game gets the opportunity for live coverage on CCTV.
Judging from the strength comparison, it is indeed challenging for Guangdong to win this game. However, basketball is a sport where unexpected results can occur, making every game exciting and unpredictable.