Sichuan VS Guangdong Preview: Hunt PK Barton, Sichuan Struggles in Preseason, Guangdong Aims for Consecutive Wins

On the evening of October 3rd, the CBA preseason games kick off in Jiangxi Jishan, with Guangdong men’s basketball team facing off against Sichuan men’s basketball team.

The Guangdong team made significant adjustments to their roster during the offseason. Last season, they finished fourth in the league with a record of 37 wins and 15 losses in the regular season, advancing to the playoffs where they reached the semifinals but were unable to make it to the finals after being defeated by the eventual champions Liaoning. During the offseason, Guangdong released Zhou Qi, although they welcomed Wang Shaojie and signed Huang Rongqi. However, the team is not considered the strongest contender for the championship this season compared to last. In terms of foreign players, Guangdong has signed Barton and Bazley. Former Shandong player Jilunvate has been closely linked with Guangdong recently. It’s worth noting that three young players, Zhang Huafei, Li Wenhao, and Yang Yi, have been promoted to the first team.

Guangdong has played several preseason games, with both foreign players playing key roles. In the last three games, Guangdong has maintained a perfect record, winning all three. In their most recent game, Guangdong narrowly defeated Fujian 85-83. In this game, only two players scored in double digits, both foreign players. Barton shot 12 out of 19 for 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Bazley recorded a double-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists. From the three preseason games, it’s clear that Barton and Bazley are well-suited to the current Guangdong lineup.

In the three games, against Guangzhou, Bazley scored 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Barton scored 28 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists. In the easy win against Tianjin, the duo combined for 47 points, 22 rebounds, and 8 assists. Wang Shaojie had previously missed games due to injury, but his debut performance was impressive.

Previously, Zhu Fangyu stated that Guangdong’s current weakness is rebounding in the paint, but the third foreign player will be announced soon. If there are no surprises, Jilunvate will join the team.

On the other hand, Sichuan’s performance last season was very poor, starting with consecutive losses and struggling to win a game despite changing coaches. They finished at the bottom of the standings in the regular season with a record of 4 wins and 48 losses. During the offseason, the team announced Han Shuo as the new head coach. In terms of the roster, veteran Zhang Dayu left the team, and Guo Jinlin joined the coaching staff. Sichuan signed Wang Yunzhang, Yang Wenxue, and Yang Zheng in the draft, though Yang Zheng did not participate in the physical test. However, Yang Wenxue is promising. Additionally, they promoted Duan Ruiqi and He Chiyu from the youth team and loaned Li Jinxiao from Guangsha and brought Li Weihao from Beikong. Although Sichuan also underwent some changes, they are still not expected to perform well in the new season.

Prior to this, Sichuan officially announced the signing of Marcus Hunt, who scored 68 points, and Marin Maric. However, Jing Hanyi suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture and will undergo surgery soon, meaning he will miss many games for Sichuan.

Sichuan lost all three of their preseason games, which aligns with expectations. Foreign player Hunt quickly adapted and produced good numbers, but lacked support. Let’s briefly review Sichuan’s three preseason games. They lost 66-88 to Xinjiang, with only two players scoring in double digits, including Li Jinxiao with 18 points and Hunt with 11 points and 4 rebounds. They narrowly lost 92-99 to Qingdao, with Hunt scoring 34 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Sumner added 13 points and 5 assists. In their most recent game, Sichuan lost 73-90 to Nanjing Tongxi, with Hunt scoring 32 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists, and Yang Wenxue contributing 9 points and 14 rebounds. Sichuan lacks key players to support Hunt in crucial moments, and the three consecutive losses give fans a clear understanding of the team.

In previous encounters, Guangdong has held a decisive advantage. For Sichuan to stop their three-game losing streak in the preseason, the challenge remains significant.

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