This season, there are only two head coaches in their 60s in the league, and they both happen to be the head coaches of the Beijing teams. Compared to Xu Limin, who has a relatively short coaching career in the CBA, Min Lulei, the championship-winning coach, has not been able to bring the strong Beikong team to the expected level this season. A major reason for this is his failure to effectively utilize last season's best foreign aid, Salinger.
During his time with Shenzhen last season, Salinger was highly efficient, averaging 21.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 4 assists in just 26.8 minutes per game, and was named the best foreign aid in the regular season after the season.
After transferring to Beikong this season, everyone thought he would continue to dominate and help Beikong make a run at the championship. However, as the season progressed, Min Lulei still hadn't found the right way to use Salinger, which gradually exposed his weaknesses.
Including the recent game against Guangsha where he only scored 10 points and 7 rebounds, Salinger has only managed to score over 20 points in one of his last five games (against Shanghai). In that game, his shooting accuracy was not ideal, making only 11 of 29 shots for a dismal 37.9% shooting percentage.
In the 25 games he has played for Beikong this season, Salinger's average scoring has dropped to 18.3 points despite playing more minutes than last season in Shenzhen. His shooting percentages have also significantly decreased to 45.4%, 31.7%, and 72.7%.
In today's CBA, where "whoever controls the paint wins the world," Salinger, who can attack, pass, and rebound, is truly rare. Yet, despite having such a versatile player, Beikong's current record stands at only 14 wins and 11 losses, ranking tenth in the entire league. If they aim to reach the semi-finals or even the finals, such a ranking is clearly unacceptable.
During his time coaching the Beijing team, Min Lulei successfully cultivated Morris into a top-tier foreign aid in the league. However, after many years and returning to coaching, he seems unsure how to use a player like Salinger, who has even played as a starter in the NBA. This may be somewhat related to his advocacy of "team basketball."
Indeed, Beikong's current roster is quite solid, but the key is to establish a core player. Looking at the domestic players, none seem capable of taking on this responsibility. Among the foreign players, Teles is too thin to rely on in tough matches, and Riller's functions are too limited. It appears that Salinger is the most suitable candidate to be Beikong's core player.
If Min Lulei does not establish a core strategy centered around Salinger, it will be a luxury for Beikong to even enter the playoffs among the top 12 this season, let alone compete for the top four.