Reporter Ji Mengnian reports
On the last match day of the Year of the Rat in the lunar calendar, eight teams including Xinjiang, Zhejiang, Beijing Enterprises, and Shenzhen presented four exciting games for fans across the country. After the match between Beijing Enterprises and Shenzhen, the second stage of the CBA regular season came to an end.
From December 2 to February 6, 64 days and nights, countless exciting games, left a deep impression on the fans. After the end of the second regular season journey, the players left Zhuji, returned to their respective locations, and then returned to their homes to spend the Spring Festival with their relatives.
The end of the second regular season means that half of the 2020-21 CBA season has passed. It seems that the three teams in Guangdong, Liaoning and Xinjiang are the biggest favorites in the championship. In fact, it is relatively clear which 12 teams can enter the playoffs. However, the next third stage and the second half of the league are also full of suspense and highlights. To a certain extent, the challenge has only really come from then.
The championship also depends on Guangdong, Liao and Xinjiang
It was not until February 3 that the first Guangdong-Liaoning war of the season was overdue. This matchup is not only a replay of the peak matchup last season, but also a preview of the new season finals. The course of the game was twists and turns, and finally the defending champion Guangdong narrowly defeated Liaoning and won this crucial battle.
After that, the Guangdong team defeated the Shandong team in the final round of the second regular season, while the Liaoning team lost to the Sichuan team. After halfway through the league, Guangdong ranked first in the league with 35 wins and 4 losses, followed by the Liaoning team with 34 wins and 5 losses.
In the past few years, the battle for hegemony between Guangdong and Liaoning has been the main theme of CBA. It seems that the meeting of Liaoning and Guangdong in the finals this season is still a high probability event. Although the Guangdong team Yi Jianlian was absent due to injury, the overall strength of the team is still strong. In particular, the stable performance of the two major foreign aids Wilms and Marshan Brooks has made them few rivals in the league.
Although the Liaoning team lost in the direct confrontation with the Guangdong team, how strong their overall strength is, it is also obvious to all in the first half of the season. You know, the Liaoning team is actually facing Guangdong with a single foreign aid lineup, and core defender Zhao Jiwei is still injured in the game. Team coach Yang Ming also emphasized after the game with Guangdong: “When our wounded return and the foreign aid is in place, I look forward to the second confrontation between the two sides.”
At the beginning of the season, it was actually a situation where Guangdong, Zhejiang and Liaoning stood together. However, as the season progressed, Guangdong and Liaoning gradually opened up the distance from Zhejiang. On the contrary, the Xinjiang team, which did not perform particularly well at the beginning of the season, may join the championship group in the second half of the season.
The inside combination formed by Zhou Qi and Motel is a nightmare for all teams in the league. Young players such as Qilin and Tang Caiyu are also growing rapidly, and Abdul Saramu is recovering from injury. More importantly, the small foreign aid Clark is in place. In the last game before the Spring Festival, Clark did not play. Even so, they defeated the Zhejiang team.
In the third and fourth stages of the regular season, the Xinjiang team is likely to complete the overtake of the Zhejiang team in terms of record. After the start of the playoffs, the team’s terrifying strength can be displayed to the greatest extent. Originally, Liao and Guangdong were competing for the championship, but now Xinjiang has entered the game. Not surprisingly, this year’s CBA championship is likely to be born among the three teams in Guangdong, Liaoning and Xinjiang.
The playoff situation is clear
Guangdong, Liaoning and Xinjiang are competing for the championship, it is hard to tell who can laugh at the end. Relatively speaking, the postseason competition situation is actually relatively clear. At present, the 12 teams of Guangdong, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Xinjiang, Jilin, Shandong, Sichuan, Qingdao, Beijing Enterprises, Shenzhen, and Beijing are in the playoff area.
The Shanghai team ranked 13th in the league with a record of 16 wins and 21 losses. Shanxi and Guangzhou ranked 14th and 15th respectively. Later teams such as Fujian and Tianjin lost the possibility of reaching the playoffs early, and the situation facing Shanxi and Guangzhou is actually very difficult. To a certain extent, with the exception of the Shanghai team, it may be difficult for other teams to compete for the playoffs.
Shanxi and Guangzhou were aggressive in the first half of the season, and their state has been somewhat depressed recently. Especially the Shanxi team, after Franklin retired from injury, their competitiveness has dropped sharply. It is reported that Franklin was diagnosed as greater trochanteric bursitis caused by trauma, accompanied by secondary pathological reactions related to the hip and lumbar spine. When it will come back is still uncertain.
During the offseason last year, the Shanghai team paid a lot of money for signings. Kolambeck, Liu Zheng, Zongzan, Fredette and Deng Meng joined the team, but the Shanghai team’s performance in the first half of the season was not particularly satisfactory. In front of the Shanghai team is the Beijing team with 16 wins and 19 losses. The Beijing team and the Shanghai team are linked by the same fate, and they are also the big winners in the offseason last year. However, after the start of the new season, the overall performance of the Beijing team was equally unsatisfactory. Fortunately, after Xie Libin took over the team, the Beijing team’s record began to rebound, now leading the Shanghai team by 1 win.
Other teams such as Qingdao, Beijing Enterprises, Shenzhen, etc. have had relatively stable records since the beginning of the season. Unless there are too serious injuries, it is actually difficult to have a more obvious decline in the record. Obviously, reaching the playoffs must be the goal of the Shanghai team. If they want to enter the top 12 of the league, they must find a way to surpass Beijing in record.
However, all this is not particularly easy. The Beijing team has passed the downturn at the beginning of the season and has shown a clear rebound trend recently. On the other hand, the Shanghai team and the Beijing team had already faced each other twice before losing to their opponents. In terms of winning rate, they are at a disadvantage, and their clashes are not dominant. The Shanghai team’s road to the playoffs is not easy.
From this point of view, even if the season is just halfway through, which 12 teams can participate in the playoffs, in fact, has been basically determined. However, there are still considerable unknowns about how these teams will be positioned in the future playoffs. Obviously, this is also an important aspect of the third and fourth stages of the regular season.
Still a lot to watch in the second half of the season
In fact, after the second phase of the regular season, the regular season has finished 39 rounds, and the overall situation of the league is very clear. However, this does not mean that the next third and fourth stages of the regular season will become tasteless.
As mentioned earlier, although the playoff seats are basically determined, the playoffs may not be released until the last minute. In the final 17 rounds of the league, the final ranking of each team in the regular season will become the focus of attention.
On the other hand, injuries may actually disrupt the plans and arrangements of various teams. In the past period of time, the CBA injury wave hit, everything is not accidental. The players almost didn’t get any rest time during the last offseason, and the high schedule density this season has made everyone a little bit miserable. Changes in foreign aid policies have put more pressure on local players. On the other hand, the tournament system cannot guarantee that players can conduct systematic training and physical therapy as usual.
The recovery of Zhao Jiwei, Shen Zijie, and Zhai Xiaochuan will affect the team’s journey in the second half of the season. At the same time, while the teams strive for a good record, they will also put more effort in protecting the health of their players, so as to avoid injuries that will affect the season’s journey.
Also, is it possible that foreign players will be replaced? Will it affect the pattern of the season? In the 2018-19 season, the symbol of the Guangdong team’s transition from decline to prosperity is the arrival of Marshan Brooks. The Xinjiang team will officially use Clark at the beginning of the third stage, and their overall strength can be improved to a certain extent. Another foreign aid of the Liaoning team, Fogg, will also arrive, which will also increase the competitiveness of the Liaoning team.
However, what attracts everyone’s most attention is the ownership of the Bayi team. CBA officials have previously stated that as long as the original Bayi team players are identified as free agents by the Chinese Basketball Association, they can register with the CBA company during the registration window, and will represent their respective clubs after successful registration. It is reported that Fu Hao has made all preparations for signing with the Liaoning team. If he can put on the Liaoning team’s jersey in the third stage, the championship battle will definitely appear more intense and exciting.
Of course, don’t forget the wounded. Ding Yan Yuhang has been removed from the CBA official injury list. Is it possible for him to return to the CBA arena after the Spring Festival? Yi Jianlian has now returned to China and is undergoing rehabilitation training. After the start of the playoffs, will UAE return to Nirvana?
Too many questions waiting to be answered, too many suspense waiting to be announced. There are many things to watch in the second half of the CBA season, and the excitement will continue to improve. But before the start of the second half of the season, the players can take a good rest and enjoy the time with their families. In this special year, the players’ lives have undergone tremendous changes, and these ordinary lives of the past are naturally more precious.
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