The CBA league has made adjustments to the foreign player usage rules this season, which means that there are no longer any strictly defined super-strong teams. Taking the leaderboard as an example, Guangsha Men's Basketball is currently at the top, but they only have 2 more wins than Shanxi Men's Basketball behind them, making their lead position unstable. Additionally, from fourth-placed Zhejiang Men's Basketball to eighth-placed Shougang Men's Basketball, the number of wins is consistent at 18.
Guangdong is currently in ninth place with 15 wins. This means that Guangdong needs 3 more wins to enter the top 8; if they want to challenge for the top 4, they are 4 wins short. Among the top 8 teams, both Xinjiang Men's Basketball and Zhejiang Team have encountered injury waves, and it will not be easy for them to maintain their top 4 positions, especially for Zhejiang Men's Basketball.
This team places great emphasis on team play, and the foreign players they have are all capable of seamlessly cooperating with the domestic core players. When Yu Jiahao, Wu Qian, and Cheng Shaipeng were unable to play, the foreign players found it difficult to ensure continued victories for Zhejiang Men's Basketball with their aggressive playing style. The team has now suffered three consecutive losses, even losing to the relatively weaker Jiangsu team, which undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to the morale of Zhejiang Men's Basketball.
Xinjiang Men's Basketball's situation is relatively better. It should be noted that four of the team's ace players were unable to participate in the game, but fortunately, there are three excellent foreign players: Peterson, Lawson, and Hagens. Among the young players, Xi Erzati and Li Yanzhe also have the ability to take on major responsibilities. Judging from the current situation, they are in a more advantageous position compared to Zhejiang Team.
Guangdong Men's Basketball's upcoming schedule will be relatively easier. Their next seven opponents are Shenzhen, Tianjin, Qingdao, Beikong, Guangzhou, Fujian, and Tongxi. Among these, facing Qingdao and Beikong may be more challenging, while the other five teams generally have average strength. Overall, Guangdong Men's Basketball's schedule is quite favorable.
The team's current state can be described as gradually reaching its peak. Du Feng has an ace lineup, which is the trio of Xu Jie, Walter, and Morand, who play a significant role. During this period, Du Runwang, Huang Rongqi, Zhang Wenyi, and Zhang Haojia have made remarkable progress. Veteran Ren Junfei has become the team's stabilizing force and has the ability to save Guangdong in critical moments.
Guangdong must strive to win each game in order to have a chance to return to the top 8 rankings before the end of the second stage. For the regular season, the goal should be set to maintain the top 8 position and strive to enter the top 4. The most prominent problem Guangdong faces at present is still the lack of a small foreign player. Whenever they face strong opponents, the opposing team often sends multiple players to intercept Xu Jie. If his lines of cooperation with his teammates are cut off by the opponent, Guangdong will fall into a passive situation.
After cutting Les, Zhu Fangyu hurriedly started looking for a new small foreign player. If they can find a reliable candidate, Guangdong still has the potential to soar. Previously defeating Shandong has boosted the morale of Guangdong Men's Basketball. In the upcoming derby against Shenzhen, they are very likely to achieve a three-game winning streak and still have a chance to challenge for the top four!