Title: "Seeing Qi Lin Defend? Guo Haowen Smiles and Signals to Pull Up for a One-on-One"
Content:
On January 12th, Beijing time, the 30th round of the CBA regular season saw Nanjing host Xinjiang. Nanjing started with a hot offensive momentum, taking the initiative with both inside and outside scoring, while Xinjiang chased points continuously and even overtook the score at one point. In the final quarter, Nanjing's Lin Wei began to score consecutively, eventually upsetting Xinjiang 113-106.
Throughout the game, Xinjiang's Lawson scored 19 points and 9 rebounds, Abudu returned with 15 points and 8 rebounds, Yifu had 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 steals, Xi Er contributed 11 points and 2 rebounds, Heigens scored 12 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals, Peterson added 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, and Li Yanze chipped in with 6 points and 7 rebounds. On the other hand, Nanjing's Lin Wei scored 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists, Guo Haowen tallied 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, Harris contributed 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists, Zhu Mingzhen scored 12 points, and Lif scored 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists.
As the top domestic scorer for Xinjiang after Zhao Rui's absence and Abudu's poor form this season, Qi Lin only managed 2 out of 10 shots, including 1 out of 6 three-pointers, scoring just 7 points and 1 rebound in 25 minutes of play. In the second quarter, he was called for a foul while defending Guo Haowen, which led to him angrily berating the referee and earning a technical foul (T), forcing him to return to the locker room to cool down.
When Qi Lin returned from the locker room in the third quarter, there was an impressive moment where, carrying four fouls (including one T), he re-entered the game to face Guo Haowen, who he couldn't defend in the first half. Knowing that Qi Lin was troubled by fouls, Guo Haowen decisively drove past Qi Lin's defense and scored under the basket. In the next possession, Guo Haowen directly signaled his teammates to spread out, indicating that he wanted to take on Qi Lin one-on-one. He then accelerated, broke through, and spun in one fluid motion, leaving Qi Lin out of position and forcing him to commit another foul, sending Guo Haowen to the free-throw line and accumulating his fifth foul.
It can be said that as fellow mid-career 2-meter forwards, Qi Lin was completely outplayed by Guo Haowen on both offense and defense in this game. Guo Haowen could drive to the basket, while Qi Lin excelled at shooting but lacked ball-handling skills. When Qi Lin's shooting touch was off, he was almost counterproductive on the court. Qi Lin's bigger problem actually stemmed from his mentality; if one is to be a top shooter, a strong heart is essential – being able to maintain composure and confidently shoot even when previous attempts have missed.
Qi Lin's poor performance in this game was clearly affected by his own shooting touch. After Xinjiang opened the game with multiple opportunities created by tactical plays, Qi Lin had open three-point shots but failed to convert them repeatedly. The more he missed, the more anxious he became, leading to the technical foul he received later in the game, where he indeed made contact with Guo Haowen but suddenly lost his temper on the court.
Perhaps it's unrealistic to expect the 26-year-old Qi Lin to develop ball-handling and driving skills for the rest of his career. For Qi Lin, what he should focus on most is excelling in his area of expertise: making those open three-point shots, maturing his mentality, and improving his defensive capabilities. Otherwise, he risks not developing his driving skills and losing his signature abilities.