At 8 AM on July 10, the NBA Summer League continues with a match-up between the China Men’s Basketball Team and the Spurs. Considering the current comprehensive strength and personnel configuration of both sides, this is the most promising opponent for the Chinese team to defeat in this Summer League.
The overall performance of the Chinese men’s basketball team during this overseas training camp has been relatively poor, losing by 53 points in two games against Australia. In the first two Summer League games, they lost by 51 points to the Kings and by 31 points to the Hornets. Additionally, they lost 78-83 to the Macau Black Bears in a domestic warm-up game. As an interim head coach, Guo Shiqiang has suffered five consecutive losses, reaching a point where victory seems unattainable. Although the team is using the banner of training, continuous defeats will undoubtedly affect the team’s confidence and morale in terms of competitive sports.
Before the start of the China Men’s Basketball Team vs. Spurs game, Guo Shiqiang spoke to the media about changes in the lineup. He will no longer deliberately focus on large-scale training as he did in the previous two Summer League games but will return to normal lineup rotations. This means that the long-term strategy of substituting five players at a time will likely come to an end.
The standout player in this Summer League has been Yang Hanshen. Apart from the attention of domestic fans and media, a large number of American scouts have arrived to watch the games and have given high praise for Yang Hanshen’s facilitation and offensive skills. After two games, he is gradually hitting his stride, scoring 12 points, grabbing 4 rebounds, and blocking 2 shots in the game against the Hornets. Facing the Spurs in this game, whose comprehensive strength and roster configuration are lower than those of the Kings and Hornets, whether the Chinese team can achieve victory in the Summer League deserves attention.
Aside from suffering a lopsided loss to the Hornets in their first game, the Spurs also lost 59-85 to the Kings in their last game. Both Ward and Ingram, key players, had double-digit scoring performances. Among them, Castle is the No. 4 pick, but it is uncertain if he will play.
In the past two games, the Spurs’ three-point shooting percentage has not been ideal, and the individual abilities of their core players have not been as prominent as expected. They face significant uncertainty when dealing with the Chinese team’s frontcourt. For the Chinese team, facing the Spurs is already the closest in strength among their opponents. Whether they can win depends on their on-court performance and what kind of core lineup Guo Shiqiang sends out to compete.
Chinese Men’s Basketball Team Roster: Gao Shiyan (No. 0), Liao Saning (No. 4), Zhu Mingzhen (No. 5), Cheng Shaipeng (No. 6), Zou Yang (No. 7), Wang Lanqin (No. 8), Yu Jiahao (No. 11), Jiao Poqiao (No. 16), Du Runwang (No. 18), Cui Xiaolong (No. 20), Li Hongquan (No. 21), He Xining (No. 23), Zhu Junlong (No. 26), Wang Haoran (No. 33), Yang Hanshen (No. 51)
Spurs Roster: Castle (No. 5, No. 4 pick), David Duke (No. 7), Bouye (No. 15), Nelson (No. 17), Horn (No. 18), Jawuan Morsell (No. 19), Sissoko (No. 25), Avdalovic (No. 27), Darryl Green (No. 29), Mensah (No. 31), Minix (No. 34), Tyson Ward (No. 35), Milner (No. 36), Radford (No. 37), Gray (No. 41), Harrison Ingram (No. 55)
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