Zhejiang Chouzhou's championship aspirations have once again been hindered by issues with their foreign players, as Simmons opts for indefinite rest.
Zhejiang Chouzhou has had the potential to win championships since Liu Weiwei led them to the semi-finals. After his departure, Wang Shilong also brought the team to the finals. However, the team has consistently suffered setbacks due to poor choices in foreign players.
Last season, Gali was unable to play in the playoffs due to injury, which was later rumored to be related to salary issues. This season, the team secured four foreign players early: Bass, Jones, York, and Simmons. All four players had good chemistry with the team and performed well. Unexpectedly, Zhejiang Chouzhou used a loophole in the league rules to cut Simmons, who had been performing well, only to re-sign him later. This move backfired, as Simmons has not played for the team since being re-registered. It was initially speculated that his absence might be due to emotional distress, but with Bass also being cut, it became clear that Simmons was indeed affected emotionally and seemed reluctant to play for the team.
Zhejiang Chouzhou once reached second place in the league, but recent injuries have led to consecutive losses against Shenzhen, Beijing BAW, and even the bottom-ranked Jiangsu team. The team recently found some confidence after victories over Ningbo and Beijing BAW, but then suffered two more defeats. They were leading in a provincial derby match but were dramatically overtaken by Zhejiang Guangsha, and they also lost away to Shandong. These defeats are somewhat justifiable given the teams' similar strengths and the challenges of playing away games. However, what is unusual is that Simmons was healthy before being cut, with no reported injuries or issues. After being re-registered, he appeared on the 12-man roster for every game but never played a single minute. As a result, Zhejiang Chouzhou has slipped from the top four to sixth place in the league.
On January 19th, Zhejiang Chouzhou will face the formidable Liaoning team at home. This match will test whether Zhejiang Chouzhou can challenge for the championship this season and affect their league ranking. Another loss could see them drop out of the top six. Zhejiang Chouzhou lost their first game of the season to Liaoning and were defeated both home and away. The team faces pressure from the label of a "pseudo-strong team," and coach Wang Shilong may face calls for his dismissal. Therefore, this is a must-win game for Zhejiang Chouzhou. However, they are facing significant challenges, with key player Wu Qian out due to injury, Liu Zeyi's participation uncertain, and Cheng Shaipeng and Yu Jiaho just returning from injuries. Moreover, there is no news about big foreign player Bass, leaving it unclear whether he has been cut and will not return or if he personally does not wish to continue.
In such difficult circumstances, the team relies solely on small foreign players York and Jones to carry them through four quarters, especially against a strong Liaoning team that also has four foreign players. Winning will be very challenging for Zhejiang Chouzhou. Their only hope is for Simmons to return quickly, but he seems unwilling to do so. On January 17th, Zhejiang Chouzhou announced that their super foreign player Kobe Simmons experienced wrist pain during pre-game activities due to a dunk. Tests revealed a bone bruise on his right moon bone with minor fluid accumulation in the wrist joint. It is currently unknown when Simmons will return, meaning he will be out indefinitely. This season, Simmons played 18 games, starting 16, averaging 16.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. His performance has been satisfactory, especially considering the other foreign players' contributions. Zhejiang Chouzhou is truly experiencing misfortune upon misfortune.
Kobe Simmons previously played for NBA teams like the Grizzlies, Cavaliers, and Hornets, averaging 6.1 points and 2.1 assists with the Grizzlies. He scored 20 points and 7 assists in games against the Grizzlies and Pistons, demonstrating his capabilities as a super foreign player. Given Zhejiang's scoring options, if given more space to play, he could easily score over 25 points per game. The team urgently needs Simmons to return soon, especially with a seven-player rotation in recent games against Guangsha and Shandong. However, his return date remains uncertain, and they can only wait patiently. Simmons was previously satisfied with Zhejiang after playing for some time, but the team's use of rules to cut and re-register him without converting his contract to a guaranteed one caused strong dissatisfaction. He has been showing negative attitudes since re-registration. It was even reported that he claimed to be injured and unable to play due to wrist pain from training dunks, but two authoritative hospitals confirmed he was not injured; he simply did not want to play, leaving Zhejiang with no choice but to accept the outcome.
Simmons' absence is undoubtedly Zhejiang Chouzhou's biggest loss, as it leaves York with less support when domestic players like Wu Qian cannot play and guards Wang Yibo and Cheng Shaipeng cannot contribute much. However, Zhejiang Chouzhou may have dug its own grave with this rule manipulation. If Simmons is completely abandoned and Bass does not renew, the team will have to resort to blind-box signings for new foreign players, with uncertainties about their ability to integrate with the team and surpass Simmons and Bass. This casts a shadow over their championship hopes. Zhejiang Chouzhou has suffered from foreign player issues for more than one season, and this time, despite starting well, they may have sabotaged themselves, potentially costing them a championship opportunity.