On July 7, Beijing time, the Chinese men's basketball team once again encountered Waterloo in the NBA Summer League in the United States. This time, they lost to the Kings' five teams by a 50-101 margin. That's right, it's five, not two, three, but five. They sent in a bunch of rookies and two-way contract players, and we were beaten to the ground. It's hard to imagine that this Kings team is not even a three-team team, but it has made us suffer so much.
Guo Shiqiang's five up and five down: What are you practicing?
In this game, coach Guo Shiqiang's employment strategy became the target of public criticism. He used a five-up, five-down rotation strategy, with a full 15 players in rotation. At first glance, this is giving everyone a chance to exercise, but when you think about it, it's just nonsense. Everyone's playing time is compressed to the extreme, and each person plays 10 minutes, what can be practiced by this? Is it a trip to the United States to see the scenery?
List of players' performances: a few happy and a few sad
Let's have a look at the stats for this match. The only player to score in double figures was captain Cheng Shuaipeng, who scored 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting. This performance can be regarded as saving a little face for the Chinese men's basketball team. But what about the other players? 15 people played, 6 people scored zero, especially Guo Shiqiang's three formations, Zou Yang, Cui Xiaolong, Li Hongquan, Wang Haoran, these four people played together for 9 minutes, and the results were all zero points, plus and minus were all -16, and this face was lost home.
What's even more embarrassing is that there are two zero-point players in the starting lineup - Du Runwang and Zhu Junlong. The two of them didn't score a point in the whole game, and their performances were a mess. Gao Shiyan and Wang Lanyan on the bench scored 5 points, and Yang Hansen scored 8 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, but this score is not worth mentioning in the face of this fiasco.
Guo Shiqiang's three major responsibilities
Guo Shiqiang should bear the main responsibility in this game. First of all, his five-up, five-down strategy had no effect at all. The reason why the U.S. team is up and down is because they have the strength, and if we have the opportunity to compete, we should concentrate on the people who should be trained. Secondly, the employment of people is unknown, what should be practiced is not practiced, and what should not be practiced is chaotic. Many players are approaching 30 years old and have no development value at all, but they are still taking up valuable playing time. Finally, trust the lineage and cronyism. His beloved disciples Gao Shiyan, Jiao Boqiao, Du Runwang and Zhu Mingzhen played desperately, but their performance was very bad.
Game Details: It's a mess
In the first half, the Chinese men's basketball team scored 29 points, which is reasonable. But what about the second half? A total of only 21 points were scored. It was unimaginable to score only 7 points in a single quarter in the third quarter. If it weren't for the Kings sending a bench lineup in the fourth quarter, it is estimated that the point difference would be even greater, and there may even be an unprecedented humiliating scene of single-digit scoring in two consecutive quarters.
Reflection and outlook
This game allowed us to see the huge gap between the Chinese men's basketball team in the international arena. Guo Shiqiang's employment strategy and game management obviously have serious problems. What we need is a fair and just employment strategy and effective exercise methods, not a catwalk-like five-up-and-five-down. If the Chinese men's basketball team wants to make a difference in the international arena, it must train young players in a down-to-earth manner and improve its overall competitiveness. After all, winning or losing the game is important, but it is more important to find and solve problems through the game, and gradually improve the strength of the team.
Let's look back at the history of the Chinese men's basketball team, where the glory of the past is in stark contrast to the loss of today. I still remember that in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Chinese men's basketball team successfully broke into the quarterfinals under the leadership of Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Wang Zhizhi and other star players. At that time, our players gave their best on the field, showing fearless fighting spirit and superb skills. But now, even against the five teams of the NBA, we seem so powerless.
After Yao Ming retired, the Chinese men's basketball team entered a long trough period. Although there is the support of players such as Yi Jianlian and Zhou Qi, the overall strength is still unable to compete with the world's strongest teams. In recent years, we have seen hope, and the rise of players such as Guo Allen and Zhao Jiwei is eye-catching. However, this summer league fiasco once again sounded the alarm bell for us.
Comparative Analysis: What is the Gap Between Chinese and American Basketball?
Let's compare the gap between the Chinese men's basketball team and the American basketball. It's not just a difference in physical fitness, it's a huge difference in basketball philosophy and training methods. The young players of the U.S. team showed not only physical fitness and skill on the field, but also the ability to read and adapt to the game. And what about our players? In the high-intensity confrontation, he appeared helpless and made frequent mistakes.
American basketball focuses on cultivating the all-round quality of players from an early age, not only the ability to run and jump, but also the basketball IQ. And what about us? In many cases, it still relies on traditional physical training, ignoring the tactical literacy and teamwork ability of players. Coupled with the relatively low level of the domestic league and the lack of training of players in high-intensity games, it is natural that they are unable to do so in the international arena.
Guo Shiqiang's employment strategy: why has it been repeatedly questioned?
Guo Shiqiang's five-up-five-down strategy seems fair, but in fact it is a great waste of competition resources. The game of basketball is a high-intensity, high-confrontation sport, and players need to find the feeling and rhythm of the game through long confrontations. Frequent rotation not only made it difficult for players to get into shape, but also disrupted the team's tactical system.
Moreover, Guo Shiqiang's over-reliance on his descendants is also the reason why he has been widely criticized. Although players such as Gao Shiyan and Jiao Boqiao are talented, their performance in the game is not consistent. In contrast, some young players with potential are not getting enough playing time. This kind of unfair employment has affected the overall combat effectiveness of the team and made the players dissatisfied.
The psychological qualities of the players: the invisible killer in the game
In addition to technical and tactical problems, the psychological quality of the players is also a major hidden danger. In high-intensity international competitions, psychological stress is often more challenging than physical confrontation. Our players tend to be timid and lack confidence when facing tough opponents. This psychological disadvantage directly affects their performance on the field.
The cultivation of psychological quality requires a long period of accumulation and exercise. We need more international opportunities for players to improve their ability to work under pressure. At the same time, the intervention of a psychological coach is also necessary to help the players overcome the psychological obstacles on the field through professional psychological counseling.
Hope for the Future: The Rise of the Young Generation
While the performance in this summer league was disappointing, we also saw hope for the future. The rise of young players makes us look forward to the future of the Chinese men's basketball team. Guo Allen, Zhao Jiwei, Zhou Qi and other players have shown their strength in the international arena. Their growth has given us hope for Chinese basketball.
It's not enough to rely on the efforts of a few players. What we need is an improvement in the overall quality and more young players with potential to emerge. Basketball is a team sport, and only when the players in each position are strong enough can the team be invincible on the international stage.
Reform and Development: The Future of Chinese Basketball
To achieve this goal, we need to fundamentally reform and develop Chinese basketball. First of all, it is necessary to increase investment in youth basketball and cultivate the basic skills and basketball IQ of players from an early age. Secondly, it is necessary to improve the level of the domestic league and enhance the competitiveness and enjoyment of the league by introducing high-level foreign aid and coaches. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen exchanges and competitions with international teams, and let players improve their abilities in actual combat through high-level confrontation.
Basketball management also needs to improve working methods, formulate scientific training and game plans, allocate resources reasonably, and avoid wasting talents. Only in this way can Chinese basketball get out of the trough and rise again.
The Chinese men's basketball team's crushing defeat in this game is painful, but we must not be discouraged by this. Every failure is an opportunity to learn. Hopefully, Guo Shiqiang and his team can learn from this heavy defeat, find the right direction, and strive for better performances in future games. After all, there are no permanent losers on the basketball court, only dreamers who are constantly improving. We believe that the Chinese men's basketball team will be able to show its style again in the future.