What is the situation of the Chinese men's basketball team's return to the Olympics after the first game? There is no way back for the next encounter with South Sudan
After losing 63-105 to Serbia in the opening game of the World Cup, the situation of the Chinese men's basketball team competing for Olympic qualification has not been unduly affected. But for the Chinese team, there is no way back in the next game against South Sudan.
The reason why it does not affect the situation of the Chinese team competing for Olympic qualification is that the match against Serbia is a game without suspense. No matter how hard the Chinese team goes, it is impossible to fill the huge strength gap. To put it bluntly, the Chinese team cannot beat the Serbian team in a shock.
The only thing that could affect the Chinese team this game was the point difference. According to World Cup rules, teams with the same record end up with small points. If it really comes to this point, whether it is the group stage or the qualifying stage, then the 42 point difference is indeed not conducive to the Chinese team.
But for the Chinese team, after losing Serbia and Puerto Rico and defeating South Sudan in overtime, there is no way back for the next match between China and South Sudan. The current situation is that it is difficult for South Sudan to beat Serbia, Puerto Rico has snatched a victory, and if the Chinese men's basketball team wants to continue to qualify for the group, it needs to win South Sudan before it qualifies for competition with Puerto Rico. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the Chinese team to fight Puerto Rico with a 0-2 record, so as to compare small points with South Sudan and Puerto Rico.
Has the Chinese men's basketball team won the absolute strength of South Sudan? No, but if you want to say that South Sudan can definitely beat the Chinese team, it is not necessarily. The opponent has added a lot of strong reinforcements, but there is no answer whether it can restrain the Chinese team. In the match with Puerto Rico, South Sudan exposed the limited offensive methods of positional warfare, the inability to fight hard battles at critical moments, and the feeling of the sky. The Chinese team faced South Sudan and was not without chance.
Moreover, coach Jordjevic did not let the Chinese team do their best in the match against Serbia. In the fourth quarter, Zhou Qi, Zhou Peng and Zhang Zhenlin did not play, which is the obvious protection for them, in order to preserve the physical strength to fight the next South Sudan. Moreover, Li Kyle, the longest playing time of the Chinese men's basketball team, only played 25 minutes, and the physical fitness of the main players was generally abundant. The opponent's physical strength is a disadvantage, and after fighting with Puerto Rico for two and a half hours, South Sudan's physical exertion can be imagined.
Therefore, there is no need to completely deny the strength of the Chinese team because of the crushing defeat to Serbia. It is a fact that the Chinese team is far inferior to Serbia, and it is also a fact that the main team is rotated early in the fourth quarter and has reservations to prepare for the next game. Moreover, if South Sudan is really allowed to fight Serbia, it is impossible to lose less.
In addition, many of the main players of the Chinese team in this battle did not play well, such as Li Kaier and Zhao Jiwei, but in the face of South Sudan, where teamwork ability is average and system construction is not tacit, Li Kaier, who wins by rhythm, may have an advantage in front of opponents who can run and jump. Zhao Jiwei has a clear disadvantage against Serbia's tall defender, but South Sudanese defender Jones is only 1.83 meters, Zhao Jiwei is difficult to prevent Jones, but at least when he organizes and attacks, the pressure plummets.
For now, China still has a chance to face South Sudan, and this game is also a game with no way back. If they can withstand the fierce three-board axe of their opponents in the opening game, the Chinese team can tilt the scales in their favor.