The highly anticipated second stage of the CBA regular season, round 27, has been a series of intense battles. Recently, news about the powerful Guangdong team defeating Tianjin with a score of 120-111 has caught the attention of fans. From the start of the game, Guangdong displayed a strong desire to win. Xu Jie, along with Jilun Walters, Zhang Haojia, and others, bloomed in multiple points on the offensive end, continuously creating scoring frenzies and achieving a lead of over 20 points in the first half. However, as the game progressed, the absence of a qualified small foreign aid once again exposed Guangdong's disadvantages. After the physical issues of starting guard Xu Jie became apparent, Du Feng had to rely on Jilun Walters' individual ability to stabilize the situation in the final quarter.
Although Guangdong still won the game, their desire for a qualified small foreign aid is now clearly visible. As an important scorer and playmaker for the team, Xu Jie is almost omnipotent on the court. However, during the decisive moments, Xu Jie obviously felt physically exhausted, being repeatedly restricted by opponents on the offensive end and even unable to hold the ball at times. Faced with Guangdong's difficulties, Du Feng and Zhu Fangyu seem to have welcomed an opportunity to strengthen the team. It is reported that after traditional powerhouse Zhejiang lost consecutively to Shenzhen, Beijing Shougang, and Jiangsu, they have cancelled the registration of foreign aid Kobe Simmons. This means that Guangdong may have the opportunity to introduce this strong forward player with excellent offensive capabilities.
According to statistics, Simmons averaged nearly 20+5+5 in the 17 games he played this season, making him a qualified small foreign aid. If Zhejiang confirms to give up on Simmons, they might later poach Guangdong's potential reinforcement target, Daishen Nix. Of course, Guangdong has no need to compete with Zhejiang for Nix. After all, Nix is not a phenomenon-level foreign aid like peak Masang, Weems, or Lofton. Instead of continuing to compete for Daishen Nix, Guangdong should accumulate sufficient funds to reinforce the team after the season ends. This season, Guangdong is not considered a true contender for the championship, especially given the fierce regular-season record.
There are also reports from fans that Guangdong had previously been rumored to be interested in Simmons, but Zhejiang got there first. Simmons, who is close to 2 meters tall, can handle both the No. 2 and No. 3 positions, making him a suitable reinforcement target for Guangdong. In the match between Zhejiang and Guangdong, Simmons exploded with 24+4+5 data, crushing Guangdong. In other words, Simmons could lead a weakened Zhejiang team to a big victory over Guangdong even without Wu Qian playing, making him the number one nemesis of Guangdong this season. Zhejiang's decision to let go of Simmons may be to find a new foreign aid that can fit well with various positions in the team, not because of insufficient personal ability.
In summary, after being cut by Zhejiang this season, Simmons may become a hot commodity in the CBA foreign aid market. If Guangdong cannot find a suitable new foreign aid for the rest of the season, they can consider signing Simmons at a lower price next season and make up for the disadvantage of insufficient ball-handling ability at the forward position.