The NBA playoffs are playing hot. Since April 11, the Lotto team has advanced into the offseason, and their advantage lies in the offseason, and obviously they have longer time to prepare for offseason signings. The season is not completely over now, there are very few players that can be identified in the free agency market, and the lottery team is more focused on overseas players. Zhou Qi, who went to the NBL league last summer, was also favored by many NBA teams.
According to basketball media person Song Xiang, the NBA Pacers threw an olive branch to Zhou Qi and were willing to provide training camp opportunities. Song Xiang wrote in the article: "More than one NBA team has asked about Zhou Qi and his thoughts on playing in the future halfway through this season. Most recently, the NBA Pacers threw an olive branch to Zhou Qi, and if Zhou Qi can come up with a convincing performance, then the Pacers will offer a matching contract. In addition, Song Xiang also revealed that Zhou Qi will return to China in early May and join the Chinese men's basketball team for training and preparation.
This season, Zhou Qi played for the Southeast Melbourne Phoenix in the Australian NBL, averaging 21.1 minutes of playing time per game, scoring 11.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2 blocks. Since the Phoenix team did not qualify for the playoffs, Zhou Qi also entered the offseason early, after the Phoenix team only signed a 1-year contract with Zhou Qi, which shows that Zhou Qi is about to face a new choice. Throughout Zhou Qi's debut season in Australia, his performance was high and low, and at the beginning of the game, Zhou Qi was once one of the best players in the NBL, but in the middle of the season, due to injuries and other reasons, his performance declined, and his playing time in the late season was also compressed to the point of poor performance. But there is no doubt that Zhou Qi has made a name for himself in the NBL and has also increased his exposure, which is a benefit that cannot be obtained by staying in the CBA, which may also be the purpose of Zhou Qi's trip to Australia. Although Zhou Qi's average data per game is not outstanding, he does show the dominance of defense, and he can achieve results in a confrontational Australia, which also indirectly proves that Zhou Qi has the ability to adapt to the NBA.
Song Xiang's report mentioned a sentence: "More than one NBA team has asked about Zhou Qi. "Zhou Qi's performance in the NBL is far from being simply reflected by the data, otherwise it is difficult to attract the attention of multiple NBA teams. The NBL's game rhythm is very similar to that of the NBA, all of which are fast-paced and focus on outside projection, and Zhou Qi's performance in the NBL reflects the defensive value, which is exactly what the NBA team needs. Previously, when Zhou Qi played for the Rockets, he showed great defensive potential, but he was forced by the ability to fight and failed to stay in the NBA smoothly. Now that his confrontation has been proven, if Zhou Qi can regain the feel of shooting from the outside, then getting an NBA contract should not be a problem.
Previously, NBA reporters reported that the Golden State Warriors have been paying close attention to the movements of overseas players. As we all know, the Warriors' only lineup flaw is the height of the interior, and under Kerr's system, the Warriors have higher requirements for interior players. In this way, the Warriors are most likely one of many teams interested in Zhou Qi. Zhou Qi's basketball IQ is outstanding, his mobility is also very good, and he also has a certain ability of defensive guard players, which is his advantage and the Warriors' requirements for interior players. The Warriors' advantage is that their rotation is longer, and almost every player can get a chance to play, which is of great significance for Zhou Qi's second development in the NBA. Therefore, Zhou Qi should take advantage of this NBA trial opportunity and be able to re-enter the NBA stage, and China's NBA fans have been looking forward to it for a long time.
If Zhou Qi can successfully land in the NBA, then next season we may be able to see the Chinese derby directly. Zeng Fanbo, who was born in 2003, is also working hard to land in the NBA. He played for The Ignition in the G League last season, where he performed less than expected, but also showed some potential later in the season. 19 years old is his biggest advantage, and the NBA scouts don't have a low opinion of him. According to the current performance, Zeng Fanbo's chances of being successfully selected by the NBA team should be less than 50%, and for Zeng Fanbo, the most important thing is the next team trial, which is his last performance opportunity. Perhaps it will directly determine whether he can land in the NBA.
If you can see the Chinese derby again in the NBA, it is also a blessing for Chinese basketball. Although it is not as grand as Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian in that year, it is enough to satisfy the fans' fantasies.