Liaoning vs Qingdao Preview: Qingdao’s Near-Starter Squad PK Liaoning’s Youth Army – A Battle of Skill and Spirit

On September 6, the CBA Summer Friendly Games continue as the Liaoning men’s basketball team moves to Dandong to host the Qingdao men’s basketball team. The Liaoning men’s basketball team has not undergone significant changes this summer; however, Guo Ailun’s departure alone caused a stir. Wang Lanqin was loaned to the Liaoning men’s basketball team in a three-way trade, while the other three new young players joining the team are Ren Xuhang, Huang Qiushi, and Zhang Chenzhifeng. Recently, the Liaoning men’s basketball team has been focusing on training young players, with veterans like Han Dejun seeing limited playing time, mainly to guide the younger players. After undergoing major restructuring last season, the Qingdao men’s basketball team did not see much change this summer. The main change was Qu Junxuan’s departure and Jia Cheng’s move from the Shandong men’s basketball team, which served as a slight upgrade. The two teams faced each other on September 4 in Benxi, where the all-Chinese lineup and youth-focused Liaoning men’s basketball team lost 87-94 to the Qingdao men’s basketball team, who played with a single foreign player. Five players scored in double digits for Liaoning, with sharpshooter Cong Mingchen scoring the highest of 21 points, Li Huyi adding 14 points, Yan Shouqi and Liu Yanyu both scoring 12 points, veteran Han Dejun contributing 10 points, and Zhao Lvyu providing 9 points. Qingdao also had five players score in double digits, with foreign player Gibson contributing 19 points, new recruit Jia Cheng scoring 16 points, Guo Qifang 12 points, and Zhao Jiayi and Lyu Junhu both scoring 11 points. In terms of current roster strength, the Qingdao men’s basketball team is slightly stronger, and Liu Weiwei brought a foreign player. Wang Ruize was the core starter for Qingdao last season, and Yang Jinmeng, Duan Angjun, Zhao Jiayi, Lyu Junhu, Ji Zhuo, and Jia Cheng are expected to be key rotation players for the upcoming season. Apart from veterans Han Dejun and Li Xiaoxu, Cong Mingchen and Yan Shouqi are rotation players for the Liaoning men’s basketball team, but the other young players’ positions are not secure and they must rely on impressive performances in the summer friendly games to win opportunities in the new season. Overall, there is a certain gap between the current rosters of both teams, but the young Liaoning men’s basketball team players have a stronger desire to perform and competitive pressure. Even if Qingdao has stronger overall strength, this game may not be decided early.