Shandong VS Tianjin Preview: Young Coaches Clash as Qiu Biao Meets Zhang Qingpeng; Who Will Avoid a Losing Streak?

At 15:00 on October 4th, the CBA preseason match will see Shandong Men’s Basketball take on Tianjin Men’s Basketball. Shandong Men’s Basketball underwent the most significant roster changes during the off-season. After Ding Wei stepped down, Qiu Biao became the new head coach. In terms of players, Shandong Men’s Basketball has virtually become a new team, with many players from last season leaving and more than a dozen new players joining. All foreign players have been replaced, bringing in Chris, Gale, and Wigington. Domestic players such as Sun Tonglin, Yu Dehao, Guo Kai, Xu Mengjun, and Zhang Xu were also signed. In their first preseason game, Shandong lost 83-91 to defending champions Liaoning. New foreign player Chris continued his good form, scoring a game-high 28 points on 8-of-19 shooting. Gale added 18 points. However, besides these two foreign players, only Chen Peidong scored in double digits with just 10 points, while several other new signings performed poorly. Gao Shiyan and Wigington will not participate in this preseason event. Under the guidance of young coach Zhang Qingpeng last season, Tianjin Men’s Basketball made rapid progress and came close to making the playoffs. The domestic lineup for Tianjin Men’s Basketball hasn’t changed much for the new season, apart from some draft picks joining the team, retaining mostly the same core as last year. Foreign players include David James, who was retained, along with the additions of Hamlet and Laviet, both previously playing in the NBL and known for their strong scoring abilities. David James was one of the best performing foreign players in the CBA last season. In their first preseason game, Tianjin played with a single foreign player and narrowly lost 87-92 to Jilin. Zheng Haoran led the team with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, showing excellent form. Lin Tingqian scored 21 points on 10-of-17 shooting, while James only managed 16 points and wasn’t at his best. With only him as the foreign player, Tianjin’s strength was significantly affected, while Jilin had three foreign players and secured the victory. A key highlight of this game is the clash between the two young coaches, Qiu Biao and Zhang Qingpeng. Who will lead their team to avoid a losing streak, adding another suspenseful element to the game.