On January 4th, Beijing time, Liaoning Men's Basketball successfully avenged Jilin with a 21-point victory. The reason behind it is simple: No. 3 Zhao Jiwei has returned.
The Northeast Derby unfolded once again as Liaoning faced Jilin. The main reason for Liaoning's 21-point victory was the return of Zhao Jiwei. Although he came off the bench and only played for 25 minutes, he managed to score 7 points and grab 5 rebounds, which can be considered average. However, he had 13 assists without any turnovers, indicating that the brain of Liaoning team has returned.
This game saw three people directly benefit from Zhao Jiwei's return, experiencing a massive outbreak. The most benefited is undoubtedly Yan Shouqi, who scored 20 points in just 23 minutes. Zhao Jiwei kept feeding him the ball, and Yan Shouqi was also making three-pointers like crazy. Since both Yan Shouqi and Zhao Jiwei were substitutes in this game, the result was that Zhao Jiwei's return allowed him to pass the ball exceptionally well and accurately. Moreover, due to his excellent shooting form, Zhao Jiwei's passes always reached him precisely.
It must be said that although they play in the same position, after Zhao Jiwei's return, the one who benefits the most is undoubtedly Yan Shouqi. He can attack, defend, and play efficiently. His current state has also returned, and he has been able to stay with Liaoning for so many years, taking responsibility in critical moments. Indeed, he has played a significant role and made great contributions.
Another person who benefits is Han Dejun. He finally doesn't have to work so hard. In this game, he scored 14 points in just 28 minutes, whereas previously, his playing time was consistently overextended. Although his statistics looked good, he was exhausted. In the match against Beijing, Han Dejun only scored 5 points, which could be considered a complete defeat. However, in this game, Han Dejun made a triumphant return, scoring 14 points in 28 minutes and emerging from his slump. Why did this happen? It's also because Zhao Jiwei returned, and his passes became increasingly accurate. He is the second major beneficiary after Zhao Jiwei's return.
Lastly, after Zhao Jiwei's return, another person who also won big is Fu Hao. Fu Hao scored 14 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in this game. Although his scoring may not seem high, he made all seven of his shots without missing any. Zhao Jiwei's passes were truly comfortable, and he enjoyed the "easy baskets" as well. Fu Hao doesn't have much dribbling ability, but his finishing ability is too strong, and he complements Zhao Jiwei seamlessly.
Just by looking at him alone, he was effortlessly scoring in various simple ways. After Zhao Jiwei's return, these three individuals benefited the most. Together, they attempted 27 shots and made 20, combining for a total of 48 points. It has been a long time since we've seen them perform with such high efficiency. This is the brain of Liaoning team, and the effect is indeed very obvious. Looking back at how Liaoning was dominated by Jilin when they were short-handed, but now that Zhao Jiwei has returned, they immediately completed a great comeback. This shows that sometimes, a single player can indeed change a team.