The competition for foreign players in the CBA is becoming increasingly fierce, and it seems that only one person can save the Guangdong Southern Tigers men's basketball team. The team has recently achieved a significant victory over the Jilin Northeast Tigers, winning 106-65 as an away game. This impressive win has caught the attention of fans, but despite this success, Guangdong needs to prepare its foreign player lineup for the playoffs.
Currently, Guangdong has a roster of foreign players including Morand, Bazley, Jilunwater, and Les. However, when facing strong opponents with powerful small foreign players, Guangdong lacks a core player who can match their level. In a recent game, new signing Les entered the 12-man squad and had the opportunity to play, but failed to score in less than two minutes on the court, indicating that he may not meet the team's standards. As a result, the team may be more inclined to use domestic players during garbage time rather than training Les, who might be dropped by head coach Du Feng and general manager Zhu Fangyu.
In contrast to other teams' top foreign players such as Liaoning's Wells, Zhejiang Guangsha's Brown, Sichuan's Samuna, and Shanxi's Diawara, who have all delivered explosive high-scoring performances for their respective teams, Guangdong's four foreign players have not performed as well on both offense and defense.
When Guangdong faces opponents with powerful small foreign players, they lack a stable ball-carrying offensive point and struggle to form effective team cooperation, often finding themselves at a disadvantage. In other words, Guangdong urgently needs a strong foreign player who can decisively overcome their opponents. So far, the only foreign player capable of tough battles for Guangdong seems to be big man Morand, who provides necessary defensive support but has limited offensive capabilities, failing to fully meet the team's scoring needs in critical moments.
As the season progresses, Guangdong has little time left to integrate new foreign players. With recent unsuccessful signings like Arms, Barton, and Les, many fans believe that Zhu Fangyu and Du Feng should take a gamble on last season's top CBA performer, Blackney. Zhu Fangyu is under immense pressure to bring in successful foreign players, and continuous failures have made it difficult for Coach Du Feng to work wonders without the right resources. At this stage, Guangdong could place their final bet on Blackney, who has already proven himself in the CBA and possesses abilities comparable to the peak performance of Masang and Weems.
In conclusion, if Guangdong wants to fully invest in a top-level foreign player like Blackney, they must remove Bazley and Jilunwater from the roster. Morand's contract is undoubtedly expensive, and Blackney is also among the highest-paid players in the league. For Guangdong, Blackney is now the last hope to save Zhu Fangyu, and it remains to be seen whether the team will decide to pursue and sign this formidable player.