The second stage of the CBA regular season is in full swing, with recent games featuring top-tier foreign players delivering phenomenal performances. Alongside the continued dominance of top-tier foreign players like Lofton, Samner, and Goodwin, others such as Wells, Brown, and Diawara have also demonstrated their elite level. The CBA league has now become a battleground where the advantage of foreign players is paramount. Shanxi's team, with the dual guarantee of Goodwin and Diawara, has emerged as the top contender for the championship, while Liaoning's Wells and Guangsha's Brown are also significant factors in the title race. In contrast, Guangdong's failure in foreign player recruitment stands out.
From Barton's consistent scoring of 10+ points, to Arms' ability to play for 10+ minutes, and finally to Reese's inability to play at all, Guangdong's foreign player recruitment failures have been disappointing. Du Feng even prefers to use Zhang Wen Yi and Zhang Hao Jia to hold the ball during garbage time rather than Reese, causing concern among many fans. Guangdong has confirmed its plan to seek new foreign players again, but the remaining options are limited. Referring to Shanghai's Lofton, who can attack, organize, and grab rebounds, Guangdong will remain firm in its goal of securing a standard No. 3 position offensive foreign player from the start of the season. However, there are only a few foreign players with qualified dimensions on the front line and top-level scoring ability, with only Diawara from Shanxi's front-line foreign players able to perform at this level besides the peak of Weems.
In the recently concluded game, Diawara led Shanxi to defeat Guangsha, the top team in the standings, without their main player Goodwin. This victory was no accident. Diawara not only fills the gaps in the backcourt and interior defense but is also an unstoppable force on the front-line wing in offense. Undoubtedly, Diawara is the perfect fit for Guangdong's tactical system. On the CBA foreign player market, there is a stronger front-line foreign player available for Guangdong to choose from, last season's strongest CBA foreign player, Bacon. Although Bacon's contract value is high, his personal abilities are outstanding.
In fact, Bacon has always been the most suitable front-line foreign player for Guangdong. Standing at the standard 2 meters tall with an arm span exceeding 2 meters 10, Bacon's "tough and strong" attributes allow him to defend the interior, and his athleticism and mobility can make up for the backcourt. More importantly, Bacon possesses the strongest offensive scoring ability in the league, capable of disregarding the defenses of even the strongest front-line defenders in the CBA, such as Zhang Zhenlin. As long as Bacon maintains emotional stability and performs at 80% of his capability, he can basically destroy the defensive systems of all CBA teams. Compared to the current top-tier foreign players in the CBA like Samner, Lofton, and Goodwin, Bacon surpasses them. Many fans see Bacon as an enhanced version of Diawara.
It must be said that Bacon is the most suitable front-line foreign player for Guangdong's No. 3 position and is the much-desired reinforcement target for Du Feng. However, Bacon's contract value is not something Guangdong can easily afford, and Zhu Fangyu may need to cut at least two of the following: Morland, Bazley, and Gillenwater, to have a chance at signing Bacon.