The main event for the Chinese men's basketball team in 2025 is the 2025 Men's Basketball Asian Cup. The third window period of the Asian Cup qualifiers will be held on February 20 and 23, with matches against Japan and Guam respectively. The official tournament dates for the 2025 Men's Basketball Asian Cup are August 5 to 17, and it will be held in Saudi Arabia. It is now mid-January, and the Chinese men's basketball team will reconvene in February to prepare for the Asian qualifiers after the New Year. The men's basketball roster will also be announced soon, but this time it is different from previous rosters because three national players have been ruled out due to injuries and will not be able to participate in the Asian qualifiers. They are Zhang Zhenlin, Hu Mingxuan, and Jiao Boqiao. Zhang Zhenlin and Hu Mingxuan have suffered a recurrence of old injuries, while Jiao Boqiao has a confirmed ligament tear. Whether he undergoes surgery or not is yet to be determined, but regardless, he will miss the February Asian qualifiers. Therefore, Coach Guo Shiqiang has no choice but to look for new talent. He has even gone to the United States to observe new stars such as Zhao Weilun, Wang Junjie, and Xun Sannan. The purpose is clear; Guo Shiqiang wants to cultivate them for the future. Although these individuals are the hope for the future of the men's basketball team, they cannot solve the urgent needs of the team.
Coach Guo Shiqiang's main priority now is to find players who can replace Zhang Zhenlin, Hu Mingxuan, and Jiao Boqiao. Recently, Guo Shiqiang stated that he has already identified several newcomers, including Li Hongquan, Li Tianrong, and Lin Wei from Shanghai. These players will be selected for the February men's basketball roster because their abilities are not inferior to those of Zhang Zhenlin and Hu Mingxuan, and in some cases, they may even be stronger. Some fans believe that newcomers like the Li brothers from Shanghai and Lin Wei should be included in the national team because, in addition to technical skills, mental attributes and competitive temperament are crucial. Players like Lin Wei, Li Hongquan, and Li Tianrong possess these mental attributes, which are not cultivated but earned through their performance on the court. Therefore, Guo Shiqiang should focus on cultivating these individuals as they are capable of playing under adverse conditions. Additionally, players like Yang Hanshen and Yu Jiahao should be developed as they are the future pillars and leaders of the men's basketball team's frontcourt. Only with the rise of a new generation of centers does China's team have hope for the future.
