Last night, the visiting Beikong team defeated the Jiangsu team 112-94, ending their losing streak, which relieved coach Min Lulei. Even though they were facing a super weak opponent, it was not easy to play against them. The first half was very close, and they were still trailing by one point at halftime. However, during the halftime break, Min Lulei said that he encouraged his players to take shots boldly and shoot whenever they had the opportunity. They turned a one-point deficit into a lead of more than 20 points and finally defeated the Jiangsu team by 18 points.
In the entire game, seven players from the Beikong team scored in double figures, including Rile with 36 points and Salinger with 19 points. The most commendable was young point guard Lin Yanting, who not only scored in double figures but also provided the team with the most assists, revitalizing the team. After the game, coach Min Lulei praised Lin Yanting and Salinger's three-pointers for turning the tide in the second half. Another interior player, Zou Yuchen, scored 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, with the highest plus-minus value on the team, contributing to a 34-point win, showing a very strong performance.
On the other hand, Shen Zijie, who plays the same position, was completely useless and performed poorly. As a starting player, he played for 14 minutes but only scored 4 points and 1 rebound, which was truly terrible. He was not as good as the young interior player Chen Guohao, and was even dominated by the opposing young interior player Ma Guodong, who scored 10 points in 12 minutes with a 6 out of 5 shooting efficiency, much higher than Shen Zijie, who is on a top salary. I wonder if he felt embarrassed about it.
Since transferring from Shenzhen to Beikong, Shen Zijie's state has plummeted. In the last seven games, he has scored 4 points in four consecutive games, with two games scoring 0 points and 2 points, averaging 3.7 points in seven games. Is this the data that a top-salary player should have? To be honest, even a substitute player can have such data. This season, Shen Zijie's performance has caused trouble for two people, declining too severely. His average score has dropped from 12.4 points last season to 7.1 points, and his rebounds have decreased from 7.4 to 5.3. His free-throw shooting percentage is only 45%, which is really pitiful. It was originally thought that he and Salinger would become a strong combination in the frontcourt after joining the Beikong team, but now they have disappointed the Beikong fans.
Now, Shen Zijie has gone from being a top-salary player to a slacker, constantly coasting. Fans say that after getting the top salary, he started playing health-preserving basketball and became like an old man. Does such a top-salary player let down the team and the fans? What do you think?