Zhang Ning, who did not perform well in the playoffs last season, averaged 18.2 points per game in the regular season this season. However, in the opening game of the playoffs, he once again underperformed, causing Shanxi to lose the game.
In the Shanxi team's away game against the Guangsha team, Sun Minghui, the core of Guangsha's backfield, was absent due to injury, and Zhao Yanhao, another main backfielder, also failed to play. This gives Shanxi a chance to get a win away from home. However, although they led at one point in the first quarter, they were beaten 40-22 by the Cantons in the second quarter to lose the game 97-107.
Since the 12-in-8 format is 3 games and 2 wins, if the Shanxi team can't seize the opportunity in the next game, the journey of the season may be over. However, Zhang Ning averaged 18.2 points per game in the regular season, but only scored 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting in this game, with a plus/minus of -15, the lowest on the team. Even if the Guangsha team did not send two main players, the Shanxi team failed to win away from home.
Zhang Ning has played in three playoff games with Shanxi, and although he averaged 14 points per game in the 21-22 playoffs, he shot just 25 percent from three-point range. Last season, the Shanxi team was eliminated by the Guangsha team in the first round of the game, which shows that the Guangsha team has its own strategy in defending Zhang Ning. If Zhang Ning and Yuan Shuai can't maintain a stable output, the Shanxi team may face the dilemma of being swept out again.
For a team like Shanxi, which is strong in attack and weak in defense, if it wants to upset in the playoffs, it can only hope for the offensive performance. They ranked first in the league in points per game during the regular season at 111 points. But in the first game of the playoffs, they only scored 97 points, and Sun Minghui and Zhao Yanhao of the Guangsha team did not play. If Zhang Ning can't return to the offensive level of the regular season in the next game, the Shanxi team will face a big challenge.
Although Zhang Ning has made significant progress in the past two years, and was even considered to be in the national team at one point, judging from his performance in the playoffs, the gap between him and the national team is still obvious. If Zhang Ning performs poorly again in this year's playoffs, the future of the Shanxi team may not be too good.