You might wonder, as the reigning champion of the CBA, how could Liaoning Men's Basketball Team have fallen to such a state, suffering consecutive away defeats, even losing their touch, playing like a lost rookie team.
The recent losing streak has made people exclaim: Can even tigers get sleepy?
Especially in the last game against Jilin, it was truly a sight to behold.
From the start of the game, Liaoning seemed to have forgotten how to play basketball, trailing by a whopping 39 points in the first half!
What does this mean?
This isn't playing basketball; this is getting beaten, like a primary school student with a big backpack being bullied by older students in a practice match.
In the first half, they scored only 38 points, while Jilin had already racked up a significant lead, suffocating Liaoning.
Despite a slight improvement and some fightback from the players in the second half, they still couldn't turn the tide and ended up losing by 12 points.
Watching this game, one begins to question whether Liaoning has lost its championship identity.
The team can be described as utterly dispirited.
Even their pillar inside player, Han Dejun, an old hand, appeared somewhat powerless on the court.
Injuries keep piling up, with Zhao Jiwei out, and Liu Yanyu and Zhang Chengzhi Feng also plagued by injuries, further weakening an already not-so-strong lineup.
The latest news is that Li Xiaoxu also left the court due to injury, with the severity unclear. Injuries just keep coming, making the team's lineup resemble a damaged jigsaw puzzle, incomplete without every piece.
It can be said that Liaoning's current predicament is truly a double whammy of external and internal pressures, even struggling to find someone to step up in critical moments.
Where is the once-iron-blooded squad now?
The former spiritual leader, Guo Ailun, has been absent for various reasons, while Zhang Zhenlin, despite high hopes, has disappointed after returning from injury.
You'd think he should be the type to step up in crucial moments, leading the team into battle, but now he seems to have yet to fully find his rhythm, with lackluster performances.
Is Liaoning really leaderless this time, with no one stepping up to take on the role of spiritual leader?
Looking at their foreign player, Ture, it seems this big foreign player hasn't brought much change either.
As an experienced foreign player, you always hope he can bring a strong counterattack in critical moments, but Ture's performance has been mediocre.
Yes, he has experience, but in key games, he failed to play a decisive role, instead further restricting the team's overall performance.
As the defending champions, how can Liaoning rely on a single foreign player to carry the entire team?
Not to mention other issues, the core problem remains the coordination between inside and outside players and the chemistry among players, rather than solely relying on one foreign player.
These problems are right in front of Yang Ming, who faces considerable pressure as head coach.
With consecutive losses, injuries, and poor player performances, the task of lifting the team out of the doldrums is enough to make Yang Ming's hair go gray.
You can see that Yang Ming is actually fighting through illness.
In such circumstances, Yang Ming needs more than tactical adjustments; he must find ways to ignite the players' fighting spirit and confidence.
Liaoning has always given the impression of being full of spirit, able to rise to challenges no matter how strong the opponent.
But now?
The team's spirit seems to have been defeated in a disheartening game.
This isn't a problem that simple tactical adjustments can solve; more changes need to come from psychological aspects, restoring the players' self-confidence and cohesion.
If Liaoning continues down this path, there really won't be anyone left to play basketball. This statement may seem exaggerated to some, but honestly, the current situation is indeed worrying.
Injuries, foreign players, poor player form, and even the absence of a spiritual leader all paint a bleak future for Liaoning.
If this continues, not only will the road to retaining the title be in jeopardy, even qualifying for the playoffs could become problematic.
Upcoming games will bring more formidable opponents, especially the match against Beijing, which demands changes; otherwise, the mire of consecutive losses will deepen.
Some netizens commented: In the past few games, Liaoning really seems beyond saving, looking at all those injured players; it feels like the team's fate has been held hostage by injuries.
Although this netizen's words are somewhat pessimistic, from one perspective, they may not be entirely off-base.
Injuries are indeed the team's biggest problem currently, but truly solving this issue requires more than just recovering health.
The team's overall state is key.
Additionally, another netizen opined: I think what Liaoning needs most is a change, a new approach, a different style of play; otherwise, even if everyone recovers, the tactical and coordination gaps remain unsolved.
He believes the team's problems extend beyond mere injuries to include tactics and team coordination.
Relying solely on core players or foreign players makes it hard to progress further.
Indeed, this viewpoint merits deep thought.
Even after injuries heal, how to get players to perform at their best still requires adjustments in overall strategy.
This is currently the most pressing concern.
Every top team needs someone to step up in critical moments, but Liaoning can't find such a leader now, which is also why they often falter when it counts.
As for Yang Ming, his situation is truly a dilemma.
On one hand, injuries limit his options, and on the other, tactical errors and poor player form leave him helpless in making adjustments.
To effect change, Yang Ming must first consider how to maximize player motivation under the current circumstances and restore the team's confidence psychologically.
Only then can the team truly emerge from the trough.
Liaoning's current difficulties are far more complex than we imagine.
Injuries, foreign players, tactical adjustments, and even psychological recovery have all become conundrums facing Yang Ming.
If effective adjustments aren't made in upcoming games, the road to retaining the title will become increasingly difficult.
Every upcoming game is a life-or-death battle.