CBA League Double News: Zhao Rui Regrets Leaving Guangdong Men's Basketball Team, Zhou Peng Regrets Leaving Guangdong Men's Basketball Team
The CBA league has been quite lively recently. Zhao Rui, known for his fiery temper, has caused a stir by colliding with referees and receiving fines and suspensions. Meanwhile, Zhou Peng has transitioned from player to coach and returned to the court, providing insights into the various aspects of life on the basketball court.
After transferring from Guangdong to Xinjiang, Zhao Rui's character seems to have become increasingly uncontrollable. In the New Year's Day game, he exploded in response to the referee's decision, rushing up to argue with the referee, causing people to shake their heads at the scene.
Xinjiang offered Zhao Rui a top-tier contract, hoping to acquire a top-level point guard to lead the team. However, due to various reasons over the past two years, he has only played 23 games, resulting in a disappointing return on investment for the club.
When Zhao Rui was with Guangdong, Du Feng was there to keep him in check, allowing him to somewhat control his temper. However, after moving to Xinjiang, he completely let loose, and this incident of colliding with the referee was actually foreseeable.
During the New Year's Day match, Zhao Rui was ejected from the game in the first quarter for being dissatisfied with the referee's decision and colliding with the referee. Such behavior is absolutely unacceptable in professional leagues.
What's even more frustrating is that after being sent off, Zhao Rui posted an angry message on social media attacking the referees, directly violating the disciplinary red line of the league, resulting in a fine of 100,000 yuan and a five-game suspension.
Xinjiang's current situation is quite awkward. They brought in Zhao Rui to enhance the team's strength, but now they are in trouble because of his issues. This five-game suspension will have a significant impact on the team.
Zhao Rui's skills on the court are undoubtedly impressive, with strong court control, scoring and organizing abilities, and a solid defensive presence. However, his personality is quite troublesome.
Being suspended at this critical moment is a double blow to Xinjiang, especially since the New Year's Day match against Shandong lacked Zhao Rui as an offensive point, significantly reducing the team's strength.
Zhou Peng has also had a tough season, transitioning from Guangdong to Shenzhen as head coach, hoping to make a big splash. However, reality has dealt him a heavy blow.
Although Shenzhen has national-level players like Gu Quan and He Xining, the team is not performing at the expected level, with a record of 18 losses in 23 games, putting immense pressure on Zhou Peng, the rookie coach.
There are numerous problems within the team; some players are unwilling to execute tactics, while others prefer to play individually, resulting in a lack of teamwork. This is causing considerable distress for Zhou Peng, who has just transitioned to coaching.
To make matters worse, the team is experiencing an injury crisis, particularly lacking in the forward position, forcing Zhou Peng to return to the court at the age of 35, running around on the field.
However, Zhou Peng's form has surprisingly been good, averaging 18 points in 12 games in December, with impressive shooting and three-point percentages.
In the match against Shanxi, Zhou Peng scored 22 points with 4 rebounds and 4 assists, a performance better than many young players, but this may not necessarily be a good thing for him.
Shenzhen's current situation is quite awkward, with the head coach having to play on the court. This is a rare occurrence in CBA history, reflecting severe personnel shortages within the team.
If given another chance, Zhou Peng might not have rushed to transition to coaching so quickly. After all, coaching and playing are two different things, requiring completely different abilities and experiences.