Due to the decline of Liaoning Men's Basketball and Guangdong Team, there are no super teams in this season's CBA, so the competition among teams is fierce, and games often go down to the wire. However, among many teams, a super dark horse team has emerged. They rely on their excellent offensive firepower, often leaving opponents clueless. For example, in this game, they made 17 out of 20 shots in a single quarter, scoring 49 points with an 85% shooting rate, directly taking a big lead over their opponents.
In the CBA regular season match between Shanxi and Tianjin, Shanxi finally found their form and won a big victory over Tianjin with their offensive firepower. Especially in the second quarter, they made 17 out of 20 shots, scoring 49 points. Among them, the tough player Zhang Ning was 5 for 5, scoring 14 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal, winning Tianjin by 17 points in a single quarter. In fact, Tianjin's offense in the second quarter wasn't bad, scoring 32 points in the quarter, but Shanxi was just too accurate, with three-pointers and mid-range shots coming from all angles, making it impossible for Tianjin to cope.
In this game, Shanxi played like a wild horse let loose, scoring a total of 136 points, including 14 out of 23 three-pointers, with a shooting rate exceeding 60%. Among them, Yuan Shuai was 3 for 5, Jiao Hailong was 4 for 5, Jia Mingru was 2 for 2, and even Zhang Ning, who was only 2 for 4, was below average. Shanxi played their style in this game, constantly counterattacking on defense, continuously passing the ball and shooting three-pointers, directly crushing Tianjin, and eventually winning 136:113.
When Shanxi plays with a fluid offensive rhythm, they fear no one. Not counting this game, Shanxi averages 114.9 points per game this season, ranking first among CBA teams, and can grab an average of 50.4 rebounds, also the highest among all teams. When Shanxi speeds up, they can compete with any team. With a bombing squad featuring Zhang Ning, Diyallo, and Goodwin, few CBA teams can stop them when they get going, which is also why Guangsha chose to slow down against Shanxi.
Of course, every team has its weaknesses, and Shanxi's weakness this season is obvious, which is their defense. In the game, Shanxi players often appear distracted or randomly double-team on defense, and there is a lack of chemistry among teammates. The data shows that Shanxi's defensive efficiency this season is 113.3 points, ranking twelfth in the league, meaning Shanxi allows opponents to score 113.3 points per hundred possessions. Such a high scoring rate should not appear on a strong team, but Shanxi's defense is really lacking.
Personally, I think there are reasons for Shanxi's poor defense. Yuan Shuai is a big defensive liability, Liu Chuanxing and Dabao have height but are slow, making them easy targets, while Jia Mingru is too short. Among domestic players, there is really only one Zhang Ning who can defend well.