Zhao Jiwei's injury and comeback
In the second half of the 2023-2024 CBA League, the Liaoning men's basketball team suffered a major blow - the core of the team, Zhao Jiwei, was absent due to injury. Zhao Jiwei is the star of the Liaoning team, with strong dominance on the field, outstanding ability to fight alone on the offensive end, and a veteran leader in the team on the defensive end. His absence will undoubtedly have a big impact on the team's tactical deployment.
According to the season report, Zhao Jiwei did not play in the 27th round of the away game against Beijing Control due to gastrointestinal discomfort and ankle sprain. This is undoubtedly worse for the Liaoning team, which is suffering from injuries. After the game, Zhang Yunsong, the head coach of the Liaoning team, said at a press conference that Zhao Jiwei's physical condition was worrying, and he needed a period of rest and treatment to fully recover.
Zhao Jiwei's injury caused Liaoning to suffer some setbacks in the final few away games of the regular season. Thankfully, before the end of the regular season, Zhao Jiwei's physical condition improved. According to the latest training report of the Liaoning team, Zhao Jiwei has been able to re-participate in the team's joint training, and he is on the court to guide the defense of young player Zhang Junhao, while his shooting touch is still hot. This gives the Liaoning team more confidence in the upcoming playoffs.
The team overtook and the surprise appeared
Despite suffering an injury to Zhao Jiwei late in the regular season, the Liaoning team finally fought tenaciously and made it to the playoffs. In the playoffs, the Liaoning team showed a strong ability to overtake and play a strange role.
In the playoffs against Shenzhen, Liaoning once trailed by 19 points. That may be acceptable in the regular season, but in the playoffs of the knockout format, falling behind by 19 points is basically the equivalent of being swept out. However, at this juncture, the Liaoning team's substitute foreign aid Abdul Salamu left the field injured, and the team's offensive rhythm suddenly opened. Under the leadership of Wiggington, the Liaoning team launched a wave of fierce counterattack, and finally not only tied the score, but also overtook the opponent, and finally swept the Shenzhen team to advance.
After entering the semi-finals, the Liaoning team encountered another challenge from the Guangzhou team. In the quarter, two veterans of the Guangzhou team, Brown and Zhu Mingzhen, hit three-pointers in a row to overtake the score. But at this critical juncture, Zhou Juncheng, a young player of the Liaoning team, stepped up, and he scored 11 points in a single quarter to help the team stop the decline. Although he still lost to the Xinjiang team in the end, Zhou Juncheng's strange performance was eye-catching.
The growth of young players
When Zhao Jiwei was out injured, other young players in the Liaoning team were particularly important. They not only have to play on the court, but also become Zhao Jiwei's powerful assistants after his comeback, sharing the burden of offense and defense.
Among them, the most promising is Zhang Junhao. Zhang Junhao is a rookie of the Liaoning team this year, and his on-court intelligence and athleticism are excellent. During Zhao Jiwei's absence, he started many times, and although he had an average hand, he performed well on the defensive end. After Zhao Jiwei's comeback, Zhang Junhao was not forgotten, but accepted Zhao Jiwei's personal guidance in training. According to reports, during a joint practice, Zhao Jiwei carefully corrected Zhang Junhao's defensive posture on the sidelines and demonstrated how to defend perfectly. This kind of mentoring is very valuable for Zhang Junhao's growth.
Another young player worth looking forward to is the aforementioned Zhou Juncheng. Although Zhou Juncheng's performance was still a little up and down in the regular season, he showed his offensive strength in the playoffs. If he can make persistent efforts in the summer training, I believe that Zhou Juncheng is expected to become the leading scorer or "wonder soldier" of the Liaoning team in the new season.
Fixture intensive impact
In the 2023-2024 season, the CBA league has increased the number of rounds of the regular season from the previous 38 rounds to 48 rounds in order to attract more attention. Although this has improved the overall quality of the league, it has also had a certain impact on the physical condition of the players.
The hectic schedule has led to a number of injuries. In addition to the aforementioned Zhao Jiwei, other players in the Liaoning team are also often absent due to injuries. For example, in a game against Qingdao, Moreland suddenly had a stomach upset, and Cong Mingchen was unable to play because of Achilles tendon pain. This is also the case with other teams.
The intense schedule not only affects the body, but also the form of the players. It has been pointed out that in the case of playing even away games, the players' feel and physical fitness will be greatly affected, which directly leads to the decline in the competitiveness of the game. In response to this dilemma, many teams are exploring how to better rotate their rosters to avoid injuries and dips in form.
While the increase in regular season rounds has improved the overall quality of the league, it has also put some pressure on the players' bodies and condition. How to find a balance between a tight schedule and player protection will be an important issue that the league needs to solve in the future.
Through the review of the Liaoning men's basketball team in the 2023-2024 season, we can see that this team has experienced many twists and turns and challenges in the season, but in the end, it has achieved excellent results with its tenacious fighting spirit. Whether it's Zhao Jiwei's injury and comeback, or the team's ability to turn the tide after falling behind, or the physical impact of the growth of young players and the intensity of the schedule, these episodes reflect the trials that professional basketball players face during the season.
The spirit of never giving up and fighting tenaciously shown by the Liaoning team is the key to their ability to overcome many difficulties in the end. This spirit is not only reflected in the tenacious struggle of the individual players, but also in the tacit cooperation of the whole team. When Zhao Jiwei was out injured, other players stepped forward to share the burden; When the young players show their attacking prowess, the veterans also pass them on without reservation; Even in the face of falling behind, the team never gave up, and finally turned things around with the strength of the team.