CBA New Season Preview: Guangdong Team – Major Roster Changes, Can Guangdong Secure a Top Six Finish and Compete for the Top Four?

On October 12th, the new season of the CBA is set to begin. Today, we introduce the CBA team, Guangdong Southern Tigers.

Review of Last Season:

Last season, despite the trade between Zhou Qi and Zhao Rui, Guangdong Southern Tigers were seen as strong contenders for the championship. In the regular season, they secured the fourth position with a record of 37 wins and 15 losses, advancing into the playoffs. In the quarterfinals, Guangdong defeated Guangsha 3-1 on aggregate to reach the semifinals. Unfortunately, in the semifinals, they faced the eventual champions Liaoning, and despite winning two consecutive games after losing the first one, they ultimately suffered two straight losses and missed out on the finals. Compared to the 22-23 season, Guangdong showed some improvement overall, with Zhou Qi’s arrival providing a boost, but they still struggled to gain an advantage against their old rivals, Liaoning, in crucial moments.

Offseason Changes:

Guangdong Southern Tigers underwent significant roster changes during the offseason compared to other strong teams in the CBA. In terms of domestic players, they traded away Zhou Qi and welcomed Wang Shaojie, the number one draft pick from Beikong. Wang Shaojie’s debut with the team was impressive, and Guangdong aims to strengthen their frontcourt. Additionally, Zhao Xuhong joined Shanxi Brave Dragons, Ma Yuqi went to college, but the team promoted three young players, Zhang Huafei, Li Wenhao, and Yang Yi, to the first team. Moreover, Huang Rongqi, who was released by Xinjiang, was also signed by Guangdong.

In terms of foreign players, the team parted ways with last season’s trio of foreigners, Waters, Weems, and Bell, and brought in the new foreign player duo Will Barton and Marcus Baisley. According to the latest news, the team is close to signing former Shandong foreign player Jilunwate, although it remains to be seen if this will happen. It’s worth noting that Hu Mingxuan had a busy summer, becoming the captain of both the Guangdong team and the Chinese national team. We look forward to his leadership bringing good performances to the team in the new season.

New Season Outlook:

Du Feng expressed his hope that the team would display fighting spirit in the new season, but the final results will only be known over time. Relatively speaking, the strength of Guangdong’s domestic players has declined compared to last season. However, Barton and Baisley are better suited to the current team lineup, plus Xu Jie returning from special training, making it more realistic for Guangdong Southern Tigers to aim for a top eight finish while competing for a top four spot. After all, Zhou Qi’s departure has reduced the team’s championship aspirations. Although Wang Shaojie shares similar characteristics with Zhou Qi in terms of style, his main scoring method is finishing around the basket, and he also performs well in rim protection and rebounding. However, it will be challenging for Guangdong to compete for the championship.

The new captain Hu Mingxuan and Xu Jie are highly anticipated in the new season. If Jilunwate joins the team as expected, the chemistry and form of the foreign players will determine Guangdong’s performance in the new season.

Predicted Starting Lineup:

Hu Mingxuan, Barton, Du Runwang, Baisley, Wang Shaojie

Predicted Ranking:

4th to 6th place in the regular season