The CBA playoffs are in full swing, and the competition pattern for the upper and lower halves has taken shape. In the top half, the two giants of Liaoning and Guangdong firmly locked in the places that advanced to the semi-finals. In the second half, the Zhejiang men's basketball team, which was previously favored, suffered an unexpected setback in the series with Shanghai.
The game was undoubtedly full of drama. The two sides battled fiercely, playing a whopping 64 fouls and 81 free throws. In the first three quarters, Zhejiang once had the advantage with its famous "mad dog" defense. But in the fourth quarter, Shanghai finally reversed and won with its excellent lineup talent. This also made Zhejiang, the "favorite to win the championship" with high hopes this season, once again exposed its fatal weakness.
Before this game, Liaoning men's basketball coach Yang Ming spoke highly of the Zhejiang men's basketball team's favorite position in an interview after the game. He bluntly said that compared with Liaoning, Guangdong, Xinjiang and other giants, the personnel stability of the Zhejiang men's basketball team is stronger, and the main players are not troubled by injuries. These words undoubtedly labeled Zhejiang as the "favorite to win the championship".
But what people didn't expect was that the Zhejiang men's basketball team suffered an unexpected defeat in the series with Shanghai. Although Shanghai narrowly won by 10 points, the intensity of the game was breathtaking. The two sides battled fiercely, hitting a new record of 64 fouls and 81 free throws.
Such a result undoubtedly fulfilled Yang Ming's "reverse poisoned milk" in advance. As one of the most well-known coaches in the CBA, Yang Ming has always been discerning in judging the strength of other teams. His previous high praise for Zhejiang has just exposed the team's Achilles' heel in the playoff-level confrontation - the lack of talent in the lineup.
Zhejiang's "mad dog" defense made most teams suffer in the regular season, but once faced with an opponent of equal or even superior strength, the limitations of this defensive model became apparent. As this game showed, Zhejiang did have an advantage in the first three quarters with its "mad dog-style" defense, but in the fourth quarter, Shanghai finally won the game with its excellent lineup talent and offensive ability.
This also confirms Yang Ming's judgment in advance - it is indeed difficult for the Zhejiang men's basketball team to create advantages independently at the talent level, and they mainly rely on collective defense and cooperation. But once you encounter a stronger offensive lineup, this dependency can be easily broken.
The Zhejiang men's basketball team is regarded as the "favorite to win the championship" this season, and in addition to the team's stability, their outstanding performance in the regular season has also laid the foundation for this. As a "regular" in the top half of the CBA, Zhejiang has always been known for its "mad dog" defense. Wu Qian, Wang Yibo, Lu Wenbo, Cheng Shuaipeng and other local backcourt combinations forced opponents to make mistakes through various pressing and packing, and then generated fast attacks and conversion opportunities.
This tactic was very effective in the regular season, making it difficult for most teams to make a difference against Zhejiang. However, against stronger opponents, this model that relies on collective cooperation and high-intensity defense is difficult to create an advantage alone. As this game showed, Zhejiang did establish an advantage through a "mad dog" defense in the first three quarters, but in the fourth quarter, Shanghai's lineup talent and offensive ability finally exploded and broke through Zhejiang's defense.
Compared with Shanghai, the Zhejiang men's basketball team has certain shortcomings in singles ability and athletic talent. Except for the 2.20-meter center Yu Jiahao, who has a slight advantage, it is difficult for other players to have an advantage in this regard. Especially at critical moments, Zhejiang's offensive ability to rely on defenders such as Wu Qian and Lu Wenbo to hold the ball is difficult to play the expected effect. In contrast, Shanghai's players, such as Liu Zheng and Luo Hanchen, as well as foreign aid Bacon, have a clear advantage in singles and athletic talent.
Coupled with Zhejiang's lack of outside shooting, this highlights their lack of talent in the lineup. At the critical moment in the fourth quarter, when Wu Qian, Cheng Shuaipeng, Wang Yibo and other main guards were on the floor at the same time, Zhejiang's defensive pressing and fast break ability were difficult to play their due role, which also made it difficult for them to turn the tables when the overall situation was decided.
Judging from the performance of this game, the Zhejiang men's basketball team, which was the "favorite to win the championship", turned out to be just a "paper tiger". They rely on a "mad dog-style" collective defense and coordination, but this reliance is easy to spot and break down when faced with a more talented opponent. This also makes people wonder, does the Zhejiang men's basketball team really have the ability to continue on the road to the playoffs for the rest of the playoffs?
Compared with the disappointment of the Zhejiang men's basketball team, the Shanghai men's basketball team has undoubtedly become the biggest highlight of this game. They came back from behind to win this game, which not only showed their tenacious fighting will, but also showed their superiority in squad talent.
Judging from the performance of this game, the Shanghai men's basketball team does have the strength to become the biggest dark horse this season. Their players' individual abilities and comprehensive level obviously occupy the advantage of the Zhejiang men's basketball team. For example, Liu Zheng and Luo Hanchen's counterattack ability, and Bacon's singles lethality, all give people a refreshing feeling. In contrast, the "mad dog" defense that the Zhejiang men's basketball team relies on is difficult to play its due role in the face of such a strong offensive ability.
At the critical moment, the top players of the Shanghai men's basketball team also stood up. The athletic talents of Lee Hongquan and Lee Thiam Rong have given them a huge advantage in singles and breakthroughs. In addition, the strength of Bacon and Bledsoe's foreign aid also provided indispensable offensive support for Shanghai. At critical moments, the performance of these players helped Shanghai finally win back a city.
In contrast, although the "mad dogs" of the Zhejiang men's basketball team relied on collective defense to dominate in the first three quarters, their individual ability was difficult to shake Shanghai's lineup at critical moments. Wu Qian, Cheng Shuaipeng and other players do not have an ideal effect on singles with the ball, which is also related to the playing style of the Zhejiang team that has always relied on team cooperation.
Therefore, judging from the results of this game, the Shanghai men's basketball team has undoubtedly become a dark horse. They have an advantage in lineup talent and comprehensive strength, which also made Yang Ming's evaluation in advance. In the next few games, it is worth waiting for fans to see whether Shanghai can continue to maintain this form.
Although the Zhejiang men's basketball team suffered an unexpected defeat in this game, they were by no means inactive. In the first three quarters of the game, Zhejiang's "mad dog" defense did prevail for a while, which once again proved that the team's excellent performance in the regular season was not accidental.
The problem, however, is that this style of play, which relies on collective defense and coordination, can hardly be used when faced with stronger opponents. As this game showed, when Zhejiang's main defenders were on the field at the same time at critical moments, their defensive pressing and fast offensive ability were greatly reduced. This also exposes Zhejiang's shortcomings in the talent level of the lineup.
In this regard, the Zhejiang men's basketball team needs to make some key adjustments. First of all, they need to strengthen their training in singles and breakthrough ability, and improve the individual ability of key players. Although players such as Wu Qian and Cheng Shuaipeng are good at collective cooperation, their singles ability at critical moments is difficult to play the expected effect. If you can improve your skills in this area, I believe it will bring more offensive options to Zhejiang.
At the same time, Zhejiang also needs to seek a breakthrough in outside shooting. In this game, their outside shooting performance has been less than ideal, which has also greatly affected the overall tempo of the offense. If this shortcoming can be made up, I believe that Zhejiang will have more options on the offensive end.
In addition, Zhejiang should also pay attention to those players who have the ability to break through individually, such as Yu Jiahao. This will not only relieve the pressure on the main defenders, but also further enrich the team's attacking options.
In general, the problems exposed by the Zhejiang men's basketball team in this game are undoubtedly an important test for them to deal with critical moments. If it can be adjusted in time, I believe that Zhejiang will still have the opportunity to show its skills in the follow-up games and reshape its status as the favorite to win the championship.
The intensity of the CBA playoffs is enough to impress any team. The counterattack of the Shanghai men's basketball team is certainly wonderful, but the Zhejiang men's basketball team is by no means idle. In the next matches, we will see if these two teams can continue to put on exciting matchups. Regardless of the outcome, this has become one of the most talked-about topics in the playoffs this season.