Three Updates Ahead of Guangdong's Clash with Beikong: Zou Yuchen Uninjured, Fourth Foreign Player Confirmed, Zhu Fangyu's Sharp Business Acumen
On January 12th, Beijing time, the 30th round of the CBA will feature a key match as Guangdong faces off against Beijing Beikong. Guangdong, currently on a five-game winning streak, will return home to host Beikong. The two teams previously met on the 8th of last month, when Guangdong, fresh from an intense game against Jiangsu that saw Hu Mingxuan and Wang Shaojie injured and Du Runwang suspended, surprisingly defeated a full-strength Beikong 105-98 with a depleted lineup. This victory was pivotal in changing the trajectory of Guangdong's season. Following this win, Guangdong has secured 9 victories out of the next 14 games, steadily climbing the rankings to reach the eighth position.
Beikong, on the other hand, has only managed 7 wins and 7 losses in their last 14 rounds, recently suffering two consecutive defeats. Their ranking remains stuck at tenth place, with a growing gap of 4 points from the top eight. In this upcoming battle, both Guangdong and Beikong will be without their star point guards; Hu Mingxuan is nursing a shoulder injury, while Liao Sannings ankle injury has worsened to bone marrow edema, with an uncertain return date. Additionally, Zou Yuchen suffered a knee strain in the last game against Liaoning.
The good news is that Xu Jie has stepped up to support Guangdong's backcourt, and Beikong's starting shooting guard Zhang Fan has been back for some time. Zou Yuchens injury is not serious, and he is expected to participate in the game. However, the bad news is that Xu Jie has contracted influenza, affecting his performance, and Zhang Fan is also experiencing a dip in form. Beikong can only rely on veteran Liu Xiaoyu and Lin Yanting for their domestic point guard duties, but their offensive capabilities are limited, making it difficult for them to pose a significant threat to Xu Jie. Considering that even a weakened Guangdong lineup could defeat Beikong, it seems natural that a now stronger Guangdong team would triumph over a Beikong squad lacking quality domestic point guards.
Before this crucial match, Guangdong has received two pieces of good news. Firstly, Guangdong's parent company, Hongyuan Group, has seen a favorable stock market trend recently. Xu Xin has also been performing well, significantly boosting his confidence and state of play. He will continue to receive heavy reliance from coach Du Feng. Beikong's playing style is similar to Qingdao's, focusing on slow-paced positional battles, so Xu Xin's performance will be crucial and could even determine the outcome of the game.
Secondly, Guangdong fans have been eagerly awaiting news about the fourth foreign player, and according to media personality Zhao Tanchang, Guangdong has made an offer to small guard Darrun Russell, who plays for the Turkish team Pinar Karsiyaka. This club, Pinar Karsiyaka, should be familiar to Liaoning fans, as the recently signed foreign player James Webb previously played for them. If it weren't for the recent turmoil at the club, Liaoning and Guangdong's plans for reinforcement might have been put on hold again.
Deshawn Nix, the former NBA guard who was rumored to be joining Guangdong and several other CBA clubs, has recently decided not to join the CBA for the time being. On one hand, Deshawn still wants to make another push for the NBA; on the other, the timing of joining the CBA now is not ideal, as the second stage is nearing its end. If Deshawn were to join now, he would only play a few games before the long 40-day window period after the second stage, during which there would be no matches. This arrangement would not be cost-effective for either the club or the player, especially for Zhu Fangyu, known for his meticulous financial management. Therefore, Zhu has opted for a more "cost-effective" small foreign player, almost following the template of Xu Jie and Waters.
Russell is similar in age and height to Waters and Xu Jie, standing at 26 years old and 180 cm tall. He possesses excellent physical attributes, sharp breakthroughs, and can dunk, making him akin to a replica of Waters. However, unlike Waters, Russell's shooting and playmaking abilities are inferior. Naturally, Guangdong's offer to Russell would not be too high. During his time in the Turkish league, Russell averaged 13.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, with a three-point shooting percentage of 28.6%, which is somewhat underwhelming. This aligns with Zhu Fangyu's recruitment style, taking what is available.
