On January 6th, Beijing time, Liaoning Men's Basketball Team lost to Guangsha at home with a score of 88-101. This defeat put Liaoning in a complex ranking situation. Although Liaoning could still compete with Guangsha in the first half, Guangsha's offensive wave in the third quarter completely broke the game balance, leading by a large margin of 36-14 in a single quarter, eventually dragging the game into garbage time. Although Liaoning slightly narrowed the point difference in the final moments, this defeat exposed many problems, and the pressure on Yang Ming further increased.
Two Good News for Liaoning
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Stable Ranking, Still Hopeful for Second Place
Despite the defeat against Guangsha, Liaoning still ranks 6th in the league with an 18-9 record, only one point behind the second-ranked Shanxi Men's Basketball Team. In the upcoming games, as long as Liaoning can maintain stable performance and improve existing issues, they have a good chance to surpass Shanxi and challenge for the second place in the regular season. However, it is almost impossible to surpass Guangsha and seize the top spot at present. Guangsha's overall strength and stability make them look like hot favorites for the championship.
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Paton's Joining Enhances Team Depth, Foreign Aid Recruitment Shows Initial Results
Liaoning's recruitment also showed some positive signs in this game. Paton's joining is undoubtedly an important step for Liaoning to strengthen its lineup. In his debut, although he only played limited time, he made 4 out of 9 shots, contributing 9 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block. Paton's athleticism and performance on both offense and defense are significantly better than the previous foreign aid Ture, which brings hope for Liaoning's rotation in the paint. His addition not only effectively reduces the burden on Han Dejun but also enhances the team's overall competitiveness.
Two Bad News for Liaoning
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Defensive Vulnerabilities Exposed, Guangsha Easily Breaks Through Liaoning's Defense
Although Liaoning once confronted Guangsha head-on, Guangsha's fierce offensive in the third quarter exposed huge problems in Liaoning's defensive end. Especially when facing Guangsha's high-pressure defense and fast-break counterattacks, Liaoning's defense seemed vulnerable. Guangsha's excellent cooperation and attacking power made Liaoning difficult to resist, and the 36-14 gap in a single quarter also revealed Liaoning's fragility in defense. If Liaoning cannot quickly repair their defensive vulnerabilities, they will find it hard to compete with top teams. -
Offensive Weakness, Core Players Lose Stability
Liaoning also experienced significant fluctuations in the offensive end, especially when the game pace accelerated, Liaoning's offensive organization was no longer smooth. Although the core players performed actively, they lacked stable output in key moments, making the team unable to maintain continuous scoring pressure. Compared with Guangsha, Liaoning's cooperation in the offensive end seemed scattered, failing to fully leverage the chemistry between players. If the team cannot find better chemistry in the offensive end, future games will likely be more challenging.
Summary
This defeat poses a significant challenge for Liaoning, especially in terms of defense and offense, exposing several hidden dangers. However, the team still has an advantage in the rankings, and there is still a chance for a comeback in the future, especially with increased adjustments in offense and defense reinforcement. With Paton's arrival, Liaoning's lineup depth has been enhanced, and how to adjust their state in the upcoming games has become an urgent problem that Yang Ming and the team need to solve.