This season, the Liaoning team has lost 10 games so far, and the regular season has only played 32 rounds. This result should be the worst in the past three or four seasons. Not only were they defeated by strong teams such as Beijing, Shanxi, Guangsha, and Qingdao at home and away, but they also struggled against weak teams like Fujian and Ningbo, and even when they won, it was a hard-fought victory. Of course, this is related to the injuries of the main players, their older age, and the replacement of foreign players, but these are not the main reasons; the problem lies with head coach Yang Ming.
If we say that there was an excuse for losing without a big foreign player and the pure water cargo Ture during that time, but currently, the Liaoning team has assembled four foreign players, and only Zhang Zhenlin is missing from the main players, yet they are still struggling so much. Who is responsible for this? That person is undoubtedly head coach Yang Ming. Why do I say this? There are three reasons.
First, over-reliance on veterans and key players.
Yang Ming's use of players is too rigid, excessively relying on several veterans and key moments on Fugge. In Yang Ming's eyes, he only trusts Han Dejun, Li Xiaoxu, Fugge, and Zhao Jiwei. Actually, believing in these veteran players is not a problem, but they cannot be overused and relied upon. Letting the 37-year-old veteran Han Dejun play more than 30 minutes per game and allowing the 34-year-old Fugge to almost play the entire game, by the end of the fourth quarter, where does Han have the energy to support himself? No matter how strong Fugge's abilities are, can he maintain his offensive efficiency when physically exhausted? Why does the Liaoning team, which is invincible in the fourth quarter, no longer exist? This is probably the main reason. Additionally, why have Zhao Jiwei and Zhang Zhenlin been plagued by injuries and poor form this season? These are the consequences of excessive consumption last season.
Second, outdated and rigid tactics, which have been figured out by opponents.
Yang Ming's outdated tactics and rigid use of players have been thoroughly studied by opponents. Not only do strong teams like Guangsha and Shanxi know how to break them, but even weak teams like Ningbo, Fujian, and Jiangsu understand how to deal with them. Since the second stage, Yang Ming has stubbornly used three guards, knowing that there are obvious shortcomings and that they are easy targets for opponents, but he has been unable to change and improve. Even with Zhang Zhenlin's injury absence, it's not as if they could only play with three guards, right? If Yang Ming doesn't trust the abilities of bench substitutes like Yu Zechen and Zhao Luchou on the front line, it can also be said that he doesn't know how to use them or dare not use them. Then why not try the front-line foreign player James Weber, who cost a lot of money? It's inexplicable to let the relatively thin Weber play the power forward position and continue using a three-guard lineup.
Third, good players are not used, while poor performers are used to the end.
The most obvious example is the use of Wang Lanqin. When in good form, he can only come off the bench, and his playing time is limited. As soon as he makes a mistake, he is immediately replaced or discarded. In fact, Wang Lanqin has the highest offensive efficiency among Liaoning's domestic players, but Yang Ming hasn't used him well, which is indeed a loss. On the other hand, Fu Hao, Yan Shouqi, and Zhao Jiwei, who has returned from injury, have plenty of playing time and are highly regarded by Yang Ming. Giving Zhao Jiwei time to find his form is understandable, but it's questionable why Fu Hao and Emperor Hand are always starting or playing significant roles in rotations, considering that the bench has players like Wang Lanqin, Li Huyi, and young talent Huang Qiushi. This also indirectly indicates that Yang Ming indeed has shortcomings in cultivating and training newcomers. When there's no one available in critical moments, it's not necessarily because the young substitute players of Liaoning are not capable; it's also because Yang Ming doesn't pay attention to the discovery and cultivation of new talent, and the substitutes don't get enough playing time for training, which is one of the reasons for the current situation.
What do you think is the problem with the Liaoning team, and what other responsibilities does Yang Ming have? Welcome to leave your comments and discuss in the comment section!
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