Before the start of this season's CBA, Wang Zhelin was the most criticized player, not even one of them. In the 2023 World Cup, Wang Zhelin performed badly in most of his performances, especially against the Puerto Rico men's basketball team. In that game, Wang Zhelin only scored 4 points, and there were empty baskets and two free throws. Wang Zhelin was abandoned by head coach Djordjevic, and the last two games of the World Cup were all hidden. To add insult to injury, Wang Zhelin also failed in the Asian Games, and he lost the style of the former big killer, but became a burden.
After the CBA started, Wang Zhelin's reputation did not improve, but deteriorated further. There is no other reason because Wang Zhelin is still not performing well. has scored single digits in 2 games, and Wang Zhelin has become a problem in both games. Not only could he not be the thigh of the Shanghai men's basketball team, Wang Zhelin was criticized for not deserving of the top salary, and was thought to fall.
But in the midst of the decline, Wang Zhelin quietly turned over. After the end of the second period, Wang Zhelin ranked 5th in the CBA local scoring list with an average of 20 points per game. Wang Zhelin can grab an average of 10.5 rebounds per game, ranking second on the local rebounding list, second only to Yang Hansen. The scoring and rebounding are all in the top 5 of local players, and the CBA only Wang Zhelin and Hu Jinqiu are only. can shine again because Wang Zhelin is really capable, he has been a top interior player in the CBA for many seasons.
In the 2012-13 season, Wang Zhelin entered the CBA to play, and scored 21 points and 13 rebounds in a single game in the second regular season. He had 31 points and 15 rebounds in a single game, and Wang Zhelin also scored 22 points and 24 rebounds. In his debut season, Wang Zhelin averaged 20.3 points and 12.9 rebounds per game, winning a full house. In the next 7 seasons, except for the injured 2015-16 season, Wang Zhelin averaged 20+10 per game in a single season. Among them, in the 2018-19 season, Wang Zhelin averaged 24.7 points and 13.9 rebounds per game and won the regular season MVP. In the first round of the playoffs, Wang Zhelin scored 20+ points in all three games, and scored 31 points and 31 rebounds in the first game.
Last season, Wang Zhelin averaged 22.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game and won the regular season MVP again. Against the Tianjin men's basketball team, Wang Zhelin scored 41 points in a single game. Doubei controlled the men's basketball team, and Wang Zhelin even scored 61 points and 14 rebounds in one fell swoop.
Wang Zhelin's slump in the first phase of the national team and CBA was largely due to injuries. After getting rid of the injury, Wang Zhelin's performance gradually improved and returned to the top level. Under the leadership of Wang Zhelin, the Shanghai men's basketball team's record also rebounded significantly in the second period.
The only regret is that Wang Zhelin played well, but he was not selected for the national team. But this is not a bad thing for Wang Zhelin. Wang Zhelin has just recovered from injury and missed the national team, so he can have more time to recuperate and play better in the next stage of the competition. At present, the Shanghai men's basketball team ranks 9th in the CBA, and the playoff seat is unstable. Wang Zhelin can fully prepare for the playoffs, which is also a great thing for the Shanghai men's basketball team.
He has been playing for the national team for many years, and Wang Zhelin has also made enough contributions. The Chinese men's basketball team can get a ticket to the 2023 World Cup, and Wang Zhelin plays a vital role. In the world preliminaries against the Iranian men's basketball team, Wang Zhelin scored 23 points and 7 rebounds. Playing the Bahrain men's basketball team, Wang Zhelin scored 27 points and 14 rebounds, showing his dominance again. Because of this, during the World Cup, when Wang Zhelin was criticized verbally and penually, the former head coach of the Chinese men's basketball team, Du Feng, publicly defended him.
But now, the national team no longer needs Wang Zhelin to a certain extent. Because of his lacklustre performance in the World Cup and Asian Games, Wang Zhelin has basically lost Djordjevic's trust, and the possibility of reusing him again is almost none. Wang Zhelin does not go to the national team, and Djordjevic can also spend more time cultivating young big men such as Yang Hansen. It can be said that Wang Zhelin's failure to be selected for the national team is a win-win situation.