In the 27th round of the CBA regular season, Liaoning Men's Basketball suffered a heavy defeat at home, losing 86-101 to Zhejiang Guangsha. The game was relatively close in the first half, but Guangsha took control in the third quarter with a decisive 36-14 advantage, effectively ending any suspense for the remainder of the match.
Coach Wang Bo has clearly studied Liaoning Men's Basketball thoroughly, pinpointing their weaknesses and exploiting them effectively. Guangsha's forward line had a significant advantage, showcasing the team's potential.
In contrast, Coach Yang Ming seemed out of options, unable to defend or attack effectively, leading to a complete collapse of strategy and tactics. Objectively speaking, Liaoning's lineup was nearly complete for this game, yet they were unable to muster much fighting power, especially after being repeatedly broken through their defense in the third quarter, leaving Yang Ming visibly stunned.
Regarding player performance, Fu Hao was the first to lead the team astray, failing to convert multiple easy assists, greatly affecting team morale. Zhao Jiwei also had a poor game, aligning closely with Yang Ming's game plan, which made him an easy target for the opposition. He shot 1-for-8, scoring only 5 points with 3 assists and 5 turnovers. However, judging from his performance in the fourth quarter when the intensity increased, it seems his recovery from injury is nearing completion.
Foger only managed to score 8 points in this game, with other statistics not particularly high either. Foger's current situation is somewhat awkward; the team's offense is centered around Wells, with Zhao Jiwei and Wang Lanqin occupying the point guard position. As a result, Foger could only contribute defensively, making the coaching decisions questionable. The loss of the game cannot be attributed to him.
Other players like Han Dejun, Li Xiaoxu, Wang Lanqin, and Wells performed as expected. Yan Shouqi was never expected to perform exceptionally, so there's little more to say about him.
The big foreign aid, Patton, made his debut in this game, playing for 24 minutes and 3 seconds. He shot 4-for-9, including 0-for-1 from three-point range, and 1-for-2 from the free-throw line, accumulating 9 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, and 1 turnover.
I believe this performance meets the standard of adequacy. Zhejiang Guangsha is the top team in the league with a strong inside presence, and Patton, playing his first game, lacked chemistry with his teammates. Despite this, he played quite well.
In terms of ability and characteristics, I think Patton can be compared to Aqiu'er, capable of defending beyond the three-point line! He also protects rebounds well, has excellent positioning awareness, and actively sets screens, although the quality needs improvement. Most importantly, he possesses the rare ability to facilitate plays under the basket!
Offensively, Patton is somewhat similar to Aqiu'er, preferring mid-to-long-range shots over aggressive attacks under the basket, possibly due to weaker physicality. However, it's clear that Patton is not the final piece for the championship puzzle, and after the second stage, the team will need to acquire a tougher center.
The biggest problem exposed by Liaoning Men's Basketball in this game is not defense but offense, with a low three-point shooting percentage, especially at the four position, which has been a persistent issue. In the past, Liaoning Men's Basketball relied on standout offensive performances from the four position against strong teams, especially during playoff battles. However, it now appears that Li Xiaoxu and Fu Hao are not reliable enough!
All hopes now rest on the new foreign aid, Weber. Encouragingly, Weber shared a photo on his personal social media this afternoon, showing him preparing to fly to China. He should arrive in Shenyang in two or three days and is likely to make his debut in the home game against Beikong. Let's hope his three-point shooting remains hot when he joins Liaoning Men's Basketball, and we look forward to it.