The match between Liaoning and Guangsha teams reminded me of many things. From the past to the present, they have played so many times, and Liaoning always wins while Guangsha loses, as if it were destined. However, this time seems a bit different because Guangsha is now playing particularly well.
Guangsha has not won against Liaoning since the playoffs in 2014, which is unbearable for anyone, just like when you try your best to do well in an exam but always fall short, and the opponent is always the same person.
That year, Guo Ailun and Hardson had a fierce quarrel on the court, almost fighting each other. As a result, Hardson was sent off, and Guo Shiqiang was also sent off, making the scene extremely chaotic.
Later, Liu Zhixuan and Xiao He performed a double slip bottom, which still feels funny now. At that time, the players of Guangsha were stunned and did not expect it to happen.
Liaoning played very aggressively at that time, not giving Guangsha any chance. They eventually swept Guangsha 3-0. Although the score looks simple, each game was played very toughly.
Guangsha's strength was actually not bad at that time, but they always made mistakes at critical moments. It seemed that they became nervous as soon as they saw Liaoning and did not play as smoothly as usual.
When Li Chunjiang was the coach, he felt particularly unwilling every time he lost to Liaoning, but there was nothing he could do because Liaoning indeed always played better at critical moments.
In those years of playoffs, the players of Guangsha saw Liaoning as if they saw their nemesis, with great psychological pressure. This feeling has continued until now.
This time, Wang Bo did not bring Boban to Shenyang, which seems simple, but there are actually many subtleties, just like playing chess, where you need to think several steps ahead.
Boban was specially prepared by Guangsha to deal with Han Dejun, with good height and wingspan. However, not using him now may be a good idea.
For the regular season against Liaoning, the existing frontcourt is enough. There is no need to reveal all the cards, which is the experience Wang Bo has learned over the years.
Liaoning currently has no foreign aid, and Guangsha's frontcourt strength is actually sufficient to cope with. Using Boban may disrupt the team's current rhythm.
Wang Bo must want to catch Liaoning off guard in the playoffs, after all, Liaoning has never seen Boban play and does not know his characteristics.
This tactic of hiding one's moves is quite smart, but it remains to be seen how effective it will be, as Liaoning is not that easy to deal with either.
The current Guangsha team's style of play is quite different from before, focusing more on defense and being more patient in offense. These are all changes that have taken place since Wang Bo arrived.
The team's overall strength has indeed improved significantly, ranking first in the league now. However, whether they can win Liaoning in the playoffs is still uncertain.
Every time Guangsha meets Liaoning in the playoffs, they seem particularly unlucky, as if it were predestined, and no matter how they play, they cannot win.
The scene of Zhao Jiwei teasing Lin Zhijie in 2017 is still mentioned now. That praying gesture plus the three-pointer going in is simply a classic moment.
The finals in 2018 were even worse, as they were directly swept 4-0 by Liaoning. After that, Guangsha's morale suffered a huge blow.
Last year's playoffs ended with another 3-2 loss to Liaoning. It looked like they were about to win, but they were overturned again, which felt particularly uncomfortable.
The current Guangsha team is indeed much stronger, but when they think about possibly meeting Liaoning again in the playoffs, the players still feel somewhat intimidated.
Wang Bo's coaching philosophy has indeed changed a lot. He no longer stubbornly insists on fighting like before but focuses more on overall cooperation and on-site adaptation.
Guangsha has played so well this season mainly because the whole team has become more mature, knowing how to play games and no longer being so impetuous.
However, to say that they have completely overcome their psychological obstacles against Liaoning is definitely impossible. Such things need victories to prove.