CBA's schedule is halfway through, and Guangdong Men's Basketball currently ranks ninth in the league with a record of 16 wins and 11 losses. Compared to last season, this is a significant drop, as they had a record of 37 wins and 15 losses. It seems unlikely that Guangdong will be able to achieve that level of success this season.
The poor performance of Guangdong Men's Basketball can be attributed to the selection of foreign players. While the big foreign players, Jilunwater and Morland, have performed well, the choice of small foreign players has been problematic. Players like Barton, Bazley, and Arms have struggled to meet the team's expectations. In fact, their performances have not even matched that of Xu Jie, who has had some heroic moments in certain games. Without Xu Jie's heroics, Guangdong Men's Basketball would likely have an even worse record!
Another reason for Guangdong's poor performance is the absence of Hu Mingxuan. As the team's top domestic scorer, Hu Mingxuan has only played in nine games this season, averaging 17.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. He once scored 40 points in a single game, and his absence has significantly weakened the team's strength! Currently, it appears that Hu Mingxuan will be out for another two months, with an uncertain return date. This has forced the team to rely more on Xu Jie, who must now prepare to play over 40 minutes per game!
The lack of progress from young players is also contributing to Guangdong's struggles. One such player is Zhang Mingchi.
Zhang Mingchi has been with Guangdong Men's Basketball for four seasons. Standing at 2.13 meters tall, he has good physical conditions and some shooting ability, but his playing style is considered soft. In the previous three seasons, Zhang Mingchi averaged around ten minutes of playing time per game, with shooting percentages above 50%, making him a player with offensive potential!
However, Zhang Mingchi's performance this season has been disappointing, averaging only 1.5 points per game with a shooting percentage of just 25% and a three-point percentage of 6.7%. His low shooting percentage is hard to believe! On the court, Zhang Mingchi frequently makes basic mistakes, such as missing layups, defensive lapses, and butterfingers, causing headaches and frustration for Coach Du Feng!
With Wang Shaojie injured and Morland and Jilunwater getting older, there was a pressing need for young players to step up. This should have been a great opportunity for Zhang Mingchi! However, after playing in 17 games, he has been completely abandoned by Du Feng, who would rather have the two foreign players play the entire game than give Zhang Mingchi any playing time!
Looking at Guangdong Men's Basketball's recent games, Du Feng has started to give Xu Xin more opportunities. Xu Xin did not disappoint, scoring 12 points, grabbing 2 rebounds, and blocking 3 shots in the last game against Shenzhen, with a shooting percentage of 85.7%. In the 18 games Xu Xin has played this season, although his average playing time is less than ten minutes and he scores only 3.9 points, he contributes 1.1 blocks per game with a shooting percentage of 75%, making him a promising center worth developing!
At 22 years old, Zhang Mingchi has seemingly exhausted all of his talent! If he does not improve soon, it may only be a matter of time before he leaves Guangdong!