Guangzhou vs Tianjin Preview: All-Chinese Squad Guangzhou Seeks First Win, Lin Tingqian Leads Team to Avoid Consecutive Losses

On September 22, the CBA preseason games in Jinjiang, Fujian continue, with Guangzhou Loong Lions facing off against Tianjin Pioneers.

The Guangzhou Loong Lions have yet to see their foreign players join, and thus are also fielding an all-Chinese squad, leading to rather predictable results. In their first game, they showed decent competitiveness against Guangdong but were then thoroughly defeated in the second match, losing 62-108 to Fujian, suffering their second consecutive loss. Although they lost both games, Guangzhou did find some positives. In the first game, Li Xiangbo, the 29th pick this year, was a pleasant surprise, contributing 23 points and 11 rebounds. In the second game, Wang Yingran added 17 points and 4 rebounds from the frontcourt.

This offseason, Guangzhou Loong Lions underwent significant changes, seemingly entering a rebuilding phase. Firstly, they traded away Zhu Mingzhen and acquired Guo Ailun, though Guo will not play in the preseason as he has not fully recovered from his injury. Additionally, key guard Chen Yingjun left the team, and Cui Yongxi joined the NBA, significantly weakening Guangzhou’s overall strength. The new season may bring more attention with Guo Ailun, but it is uncertain if their performance will be guaranteed. Currently, Guangzhou has only confirmed Douglas as a foreign player, and the team’s head coach has changed from Guo Shiqiang to Nate Mitchell.

Tianjin Pioneers have also played two games, achieving a record of one win and one loss, which is still commendable. In their first game against Fujian, the team had only Lavitt as a foreign player, who performed poorly, going 0 for 5 and scoring only 4 points via free throws, yet the team still won 84-81. In the second game, Tianjin fielded an all-Chinese squad and only fell behind in the final quarter against Guangdong, eventually losing 74-89 and failing to secure back-to-back wins. Shi Dezheng and Lin Tingqian continued their steady performances, scoring double digits in both games.

Compared to Guangzhou, Tianjin made fewer changes during the offseason, primarily adding Lavitt as a foreign player, while David James and Hamlet remain with the team. With the change in foreign player policy for the new season, Tianjin is worth watching, given the quality of their foreign players. Moreover, the consistent performances of Lin Tingqian and Shi Dezheng make them key factors in this game against Guangzhou.

Currently, Guangzhou has lost both of their games. Facing Tianjin, who may also field an all-Chinese squad, this is a good opportunity for Guangzhou to seek their first win, depending on whether they can seize the chance.

>>”>More predictions for this game can be found here>>>