In a road game against Qingdao, Liaoning Men's Basketball suffered a crushing defeat by 17 points, but what is even more concerning is that the team only scored 79 points, far below their average of 111.9 points in the first seven games of the season. The reasons for Liaoning's loss in this game can be summarized into two points:
Firstly, the engine on the perimeter has stalled. Zhao Jiwei's absence due to injury has left Liaoning without the brain of their team operations. Wang Lanqin, the newly introduced player, is a decent player at the No. 1 position, but it is clear that he has not yet fully integrated into the team system and there is some gap between his abilities and Zhao Jiwei's. Without Zhao Jiwei, Fredette had to take on both the scoring role and the organization, which led to him being physically exhausted in the fourth quarter and unable to lead the team to catch up.
Compared to the dilemma of foreign players, Liaoning's hidden worries in the paint cannot be ignored either. Han Dejun was suppressed by Yang Hanshen of Qingdao in the paint, which was also one of the main reasons for Liaoning's loss. In the first match of the season between the two teams, Han Dejun contributed 20 points and 9 rebounds, while Yang Hanshen only got 6 points and 7 rebounds, completely suppressing Yang Hanshen on both offense and defense.
However, as the game progressed, 38-year-old Han Dejun's physical fitness became critical. He could no longer provide enough support for the team's paint like he did at the beginning of the season. This time against Yang Hanshen, although Han Dejun fought hard and grabbed 7 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks, Yang Hanshen scored 17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks. Han Dejun could not suppress Yang Hanshen in the paint like he did in the first encounter, making it difficult for him to create easy shooting opportunities for his teammates. This was also one of the reasons why Shayok, who excels at shooting, went 0-for-11.
In fact, the last time Liaoning lost to Tianjin, it was also because Han Dejun's physical exhaustion in the fourth quarter led to two fatal mistakes.
Therefore, compared to the perimeter, Liaoning's hidden danger in the paint is even greater! The hidden danger on the perimeter can be immediately improved with the return of Zhao Jiwei and Zhang Zhenlin, but the hidden worry in the paint is difficult to make up for through domestic players. After several rounds of matches, Aqiu'er's "softness" became obvious, and Liaoning also hoped to bring back Morand to share the pressure with Han Dejun, but unfortunately, he was taken away by Guangdong.
The reason why Liaoning was so strong during their three consecutive championships was mainly because they were strong in the paint, with Han Dejun, Li Xiaoxu, and Morand jointly supporting their interior defense. But now age has become the fatal flaw for the two elders, especially after a long regular season, how much energy they have left when entering the playoffs is unknown. Therefore, during the first phase window period, it is urgent for Liaoning to find an interior substitute for Han Dejun or introduce a tough interior foreign aid.