Liaoning Media: Guo Ailun & Morand’s Departure Reveals Hidden Dangers, Urgent Need to Introduce Fourth Foreign Player

After losing to Qingdao Men’s Basketball Team away in the last round, Liaoning Men’s Basketball Team rarely encountered a situation of two losses in three games at the beginning of the league season in recent years. The Shenyang Daily, a Liaoning media outlet, analyzed three reasons why the team suddenly found itself short-handed in terms of lineup arrangements.

Tight Schedule: Fatigue in the Final Quarter Leads to Defeat

In recent times, Liaoning Men’s Basketball Team has had a tight schedule. Starting from the game against Fujian Men’s Basketball Team on October 16, the team has been playing at a pace of one game every two days, completing seven games in 13 days, including four away matches. Continuous travel between cities has left the players very fatigued, especially for a team with the oldest starting lineup in the league. The players have experienced significant physical exhaustion and have had little time for adequate recovery and adjustment.

Injuries Abound: Young Players Struggle to Step Up

This season, Liaoning Men’s Basketball Team has been severely affected by injuries. Zhang Zhenlin, who quickly became an absolute mainstay of the team over the past few seasons, suffered a knee injury not long ago and is still unable to participate in training. Cong Mingchen, one of the key players who helped Liaoning win four CBA championships, has been plagued by plantar fasciitis in recent seasons and has not been able to join the team since the start of this season. While the absence of Zhang Zhenlin and Cong Mingchen can be somewhat mitigated by the newly introduced foreign player Sayoc, the sudden injury of the team’s main point guard Zhao Jiwei has had a significant impact. After Guo Ailun’s transfer, Zhao Jiwei took on the responsibility of organizing the offense alone. His injury has left Liaoning Men’s Basketball Team without a point guard who can match his capabilities. In the last game against Qingdao Men’s Basketball Team, Liaoning was forced to have the small forward Ferguson switch to the point guard position, which he found difficult to adapt to and also greatly restricted his offensive ability, contributing significantly to the team’s loss.

Hidden Dangers of Guo Ailun and Morand’s Departure

Besides injuries and the limited strength of young players, the biggest change for Liaoning Men’s Basketball Team this season compared to previous seasons is the absence of two key players, Guo Ailun and Morand. According to Liaoning Men’s Basketball Team’s plan, they introduced new national team player Wang Lanqin and South Sudanese big man Ajur to replace Guo Ailun and Morand. However, after the first eight rounds of games, both players’ performances have clearly fallen short of expectations, leading to a decline in Liaoning Men’s Basketball Team’s overall strength.

Wang Lanqin, although agile, is limited by his height, which restricts his ability to break through, especially compared to Guo Ailun, whose individual scoring ability is much higher. In terms of organizing the offense, perhaps due to his relatively short time with the team, his chemistry with teammates is insufficient, and he cannot yet replace Guo Ailun and Zhao Jiwei as the shining “twin stars” of the backcourt.

The highly anticipated big man Ajur has so far failed to meet the level of contribution that Morand provided for Liaoning Men’s Basketball Team. To address the shortage in lineup arrangements, Liaoning Men’s Basketball Team can only tap into its internal resources. It is reported that two young players, Zhang Chenzhi and Zhang Junhao, have already joined the team on the road. Given Ajur’s continued poor performance, it is urgent for Liaoning Men’s Basketball Team to introduce a fourth foreign player.