As the defending champions, Liaoning Men's Basketball Team has seen a significant decline in their dominance this season due to various reasons, failing even to rank in the top four of the league. Looking at their upcoming schedule, I found that Liaoning's schedule is very tight, as they will soon face several formidable opponents, and it remains to be seen how many games they can win.
Firstly, Liaoning will face Beijing Enterprises Group (BEG) Men's Basketball Team on January 10th, with the game being broadcast live by CCTV5, indicating its high level of attention. This season, BEG has continued to strengthen their frontcourt, signing big-name foreign players like Salinger and Shen Zijie, making them a force to be reckoned with. Liaoning's frontcourt is already weak, and their new foreign player has only recently joined the team, so this match could be a good test for him.
After playing against BEG, Liaoning will meet Qingdao Men's Basketball Team led by Yang Hanshen. Qingdao has performed well this season, with a record of 19 wins and 9 losses, matching Liaoning's record. The team has been in excellent form recently, winning four consecutive victories over Sichuan, Shanxi, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. They have quality young domestic frontcourt players like Yang Hanshen, CBA's strongest second-round pick Wang Ruize, and an average of 29 points per game from their foreign player Weatherspoon. Such a lineup is bound to bring significant pressure to Liaoning's inside and outside lines.
In the third game, Liaoning will face Shanghai Men's Basketball Team. Shanghai had a poor first stage performance, ranking last in the league with only one win and nine losses. However, they have transformed in the second stage, achieving a remarkable 14-game winning streak, becoming the hottest team in the CBA. They have an interior duo of Wang Zhelin and Lofton, known as the best big man in the CBA, who has scored an impressive 80 points, 35 rebounds, and 14 assists in the last two games. Additionally, the domestic forward line composed of Liu Zheng, Li Hongquan, and Li Tianrong is young and dynamic, making them the most formidable opponent among these three matches.
These three games are not easy, and after playing against them, Liaoning can take a slight break, as their next opponent is Ningbo. However, they cannot relax for too long, as after playing Ningbo, they will immediately face the Zhejiang duo - Zhejiang Men's Basketball Team and Guangsha Men's Basketball Team. Zhejiang has strong capabilities this season, while Guangsha is even more formidable, topping the CBA standings. They have continued to bring in Boban and a small foreign player, aiming for the championship.
In summary, Liaoning's upcoming schedule is not simple. They need to give their full attention to deal with it, especially Zhao Jiwei and Yang Ming. Jiwei has just returned from injury and needs to quickly adjust his state. As the head coach, Yang Ming needs to strategize and analyze the characteristics of each team to find better countermeasures, solve problems in time, make adjustments, and carry out reasonable personnel allocation. No matter what, Liaoning Men's Basketball Team are the defending champions and three-time consecutive winners; they should maintain confidence and belief to face all opponents, which is the true demeanor of a champion. Below is the specific schedule and arrangement:
