It's a bit heart-wrenching to say, but Guangdong Men's Basketball's performance this season is really a bit disheartening - once a top-tier powerhouse that made opponents tremble at the mere mention of their name, why are they now struggling so visibly on the court? The joy of a five-game winning streak has just begun to ripple out, but problems are emerging one after another like a pot lid that can't be covered: Hu Mingxuan has returned from a long absence, yet it seems like he's taking a gamble with a "hasty game"; foreign aid Bazley can't put out the fire, becoming a "chicken rib" that doesn't even bubble; Du Feng's tactical arrangements are gradually becoming confusing. This team, which once stood at the pinnacle of the league, is now caught in a tug-of-war between "competing for the championship" and "maintaining the top eight", how far away are they from revival?
Speaking of Guangdong Men's Basketball's hopes, Hu Mingxuan is an indispensable name. Looking back to last season, he was still that all-around main controller who was invincible, not only the team's "pillar of stability" but also the thigh that fans felt they could rely on. In several key games, he led the team out of adversity with precise organization and decisive offense, it can be said that if he's not a hero, who is? But who would have thought that such a Hu Mingxuan would fall due to a shoulder injury, and now his hasty return leaves his state of recovery a mystery - this may be Guangdong Men's Basketball's helpless choice, after all, the current ball control pressure and organization can't hold up, they need him to stand up. However, health issues are always a concern, whether his early return is redemption or a burden, perhaps only time can answer.
Looking at Xu Jie, recently he's been "both father and mother," single-handedly supporting Guangdong's control of the court. Especially during the time when Hu Mingxuan was injured, Xu Jie almost became the only solution for the team - continuous high-load appearances, each game played to the point of liver and gallbladder rupture. At one point, fans jokingly called him "Guangdong Men's Basketball's Superman," but can a guard sustain an average of 35 minutes per game? Such a burden will eventually crush him, knowing that the schedule is like an assembly line, continuing like this, Guangdong Men's Basketball in the later stages of the season may even run out of "fuel."
Not to mention Guangdong's frontcourt, which is constantly being "tugged at" by others. In the league, whenever they face players like Han Dejun, a "giant," or young tough guys like Yu Jiahao, Guangdong's frontcourt is almost like a paper defense that falls apart at the slightest touch. Offensively, it's hard to say, you can't just rely on foreign aid to "play as fate dictates," right? The team lacks stable firepower under the basket, this is an old problem that should have been strengthened long ago, but every time it's like kicking a football, dragged until today without any progress.
Speaking of Guangdong Men's Basketball's current foreign aid issues, Bazley must be mentioned. Honestly speaking, his arrival was like a "scratch-off lottery ticket," starting off excitedly thinking you could win a prize, but scratching it open left people greatly disappointed. The instability of his career was exposed again on the CBA stage: his scoring is inconsistent, he gets lost in key moments, actually making the team increasingly dependent on local guards and frontcourt players to "kill time." You know, for a team that wants to compete for the championship, foreign aid needs to be able to play, hold up, and lead the whole team, but now Bazley may not even be able to "join in the fun."
In fact, Guangdong Men's Basketball daring to take this risk reflects, to some extent, the widespread foreign aid dilemma in the entire CBA league. At the beginning of the season, other strong teams were also plagued by similar problems, for example, Liaoning's new foreign aid Porzingis performed mediocrely, all of which indicates: just attracting big names is not enough, they also need to fit into the team system and not underperform. However, Guangdong obviously has no time to wait for Bazley to slowly integrate, under the current scheduling situation, "slow work does not produce fine results," and every miss by Bazley could result in irrecoverable scoring disadvantages.
As the coach of Guangdong Men's Basketball, Du Feng was previously hailed as a tactical master in the CBA. From winning championships to leading the team to challenge strong opponents, his on-site command is known for its calmness and boldness. However, this season, Du Feng seems to have fallen into the quagmire of a "high-pressure endgame." Judging from the decisions at the beginning of the season, he let go of Weems, who had made great contributions to the team for many years, choosing newcomers to bet on the future, but this card is getting more and more off track, and the ups and downs in performance cannot hide the blurred team spirit.
At the same time, in terms of tactics, Du Feng's usual quick transition style is now hard to see results. The team faces problems of piecemeal lineup and low overall efficiency, there are too many turnovers when playing passing and controlling, and the frontcourt can't hold up and misses people when relying on defense. Therefore, every time Guangdong loses a key game, Du Feng on the sidelines can hardly conceal his anxious expression, the once self-confident him seems to have also fallen into the awkwardness of "lacking momentum."
The biggest problem facing Guangdong Men's Basketball now is not just that the foreign aid is not performing well, nor that the veterans are growing old, but that the overall structure has shown a trend of "lightweighting." Even if Hu Mingxuan's return can alleviate the pressure on Xu Jie, it cannot fundamentally solve the problem of the porous frontcourt defense. More importantly, the team's approach and mentality revolve around short-term emergency measures, while the true long-term revival route is like a stalled building that has not been pushed forward.
At this juncture, Guangdong Men's Basketball actually needs a "deep-seated" reform. Foreign aid can no longer believe in the "scratch-off lottery" mechanism, they need to clarify the core playing style and accurately introduce people; local players also need a more reasonable growth environment, rather than overloading and depleting their condition. More importantly, in terms of mentality, facing the intensifying competitive environment of the CBA, Guangdong can no longer look down on everything with the attitude of an old champion, but should rebuild their own position step by step.
For Guangdong Men's Basketball, this is not just a problem of a season, nor just a problem of the lineup, but the overall direction of the team's development. If the strategy is wrong, everything will be lost; one mistake leads to another. Can Hu Mingxuan shoulder the heavy responsibility? Can Du Feng adjust his state? Can the weak frontcourt be strengthened? The answers to these questions will determine whether Guangdong Men's Basketball, this "glass tower," will be rebuilt or whether that crack will never be repaired. No one wants to see this giant fall, but in the end, the water must be level, the basics must be solid, don't just think about following the trend and making quick money.
The road to revival for Guangdong Men's Basketball is not smooth, but every setback may bring new opportunities. The current situation is more like a trial proposition for a new start.