CBA New Season Preview: Shanghai Team – Wang Zhelin Teams Up with Four Foreign Players, Aiming for Sixth Place and Competing for a Top Four Finish

The new season of the CBA league is about to begin. Today, we introduce one of the popular teams in the CBA – Shanghai Jiushi.

Review of last season:

Last season, Shanghai Jiushi, led by Wang Zhelin, Bradso, and Bacon, achieved a record of 32 wins and 20 losses in the regular season, ranking sixth in the league. In the playoffs, Shanghai Jiushi eliminated Beijing Shougang 2-1 in the first round but was stopped in the quarter-finals after losing 2-3 to Zhejiang Chouzhou in the second round.

Changes during the off-season:

The main changes for Shanghai Jiushi during the off-season were with their foreign players. Foreign players such as Bacon, Bradso, and Vonleh, who played for the team last season, all left. Although Bradeni had reached an agreement early on, he unexpectedly backed out, leaving Shanghai Jiushi unprepared. However, Shanghai Jiushi quickly responded and signed four foreign players. Currently, DJ-Wilson and Walters, who played for Guangdong Hongyuan last season, have completed registration. Billy Baron and John Egbunu, previously reported by the media, have not yet completed registration.

In terms of domestic players, there has been little change overall. Shanghai Jiushi released veteran Ren Junwei and promoted two young players, Xie Liyongwei and Zhao Sen, to the team.

Outlook for the new season:

In the new season, Liu Peng will continue to serve as the head coach of Shanghai Jiushi. Although his coaching ability is not outstanding, as an old member of the team, he handles team relations well.

Youth is the main feature of Shanghai Jiushi in the new season. Among the 18 registered domestic players, 14 are players born after 2000, with only Luo Hanchen, Wang Zhelin, Liu Zheng, and Yan Pengfei being post-90s players. However, young players such as Li Hongquan, Liu Lijia, and Li Tianrong have already been selected for the national team coached by Guo Shiqiang, and their abilities have been initially tested.

The effectiveness of the new foreign player combination’s integration with the young domestic players will determine Shanghai Jiushi’s performance in the new season.

Predicted starting lineup:

Wang Zhelin, Walters, Liu Zheng, Li Hongquan, DJ-Wilson.

Prediction for regular season ranking: 4th to 8th place in the league.