Waking Up to News of Guangdong's 2.13m New Foreign Center Candidate! Zhu Fangyu Preparing New Team, Former Guangdong Player Finds New Career Path_Maker_Entrepreneurship_Fujian

On September 6 Beijing time, according to reports from U.S. media, Guangdong Southern Tigers are in contact with former Fujian men's basketball foreign center Thon Maker. The 2.13-meter Australian national team center could return to the CBA League! Fujian still holds Maker's priority renewal rights, so for Guangdong to acquire Maker, they would need to persuade Fujian to give up those rights or offer sufficient incentives. Regarding Zhu Fangyu, he recently returned to his hometown of Guangxi again, and media reports said he will prepare an NBL team in Guangxi with another Guangdong legend, Wang Shipeng. After no longer serving as Guangdong's general manager, Zhu Fangyu has more personal time, and working with friends on new ventures is also understandable. Former Guangdong player Zhao Jinyang has also found a new career path, opening a training camp in his hometown Zhaoqing, with the possibility of developing promising players for his former team Guangdong.

Thon Maker was a 2016 NBA lottery pick. He played six seasons in the NBA, averaging 4.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. After joining the CBA League, he has played for Fujian men's basketball, averaging 15.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, and is considered a well-rounded foreign center.

Objectively speaking, Maker does fit Guangdong's system and style of play well. Maker is 2.13 meters tall, has a 2.21-meter wingspan, and weighs 110 kilograms. He can play both power forward and center. His former player comparison was Kevin Garnett, and he possesses outstanding physical abilities. His strength in physical contact is not considered elite, but his jumping ability and lateral movement are among the best for interior players. On offense, he sets effective screens, can step out for three-pointers, roll to the basket, and provide some playmaking, fitting the new head coach's idea of playing at a faster pace. On defense, Maker's long wingspan and quick movement help him defend. While his post defense could improve, he would not be heavily disadvantaged when switching onto guards. His rim protection, rebounding, and shot-blocking abilities are notable. Maker is currently among the candidates for Guangdong's new foreign center position, but acquiring him would come at a significant cost because Guangdong would need to obtain his priority renewal rights, and his salary is considered relatively high among CBA foreign centers.

After Zhu Fangyu stopped serving as Guangdong's general manager, he has frequently returned to his hometown Guangxi and held meetings with relevant departments, apparently contributing to the development of basketball in his hometown. Recently, media reports said Zhu Fangyu is preparing a Guangxi NBL team with his friend Wang Shipeng, with the goal of competing for promotion to the CBA League!

Zhu Fangyu previously served as Guangdong's general manager and achieved strong results, giving him experience in team operations. Wang Shipeng previously co-founded the 'Chaihuo Training Camp' with Yi Jianlian and has ability and experience in developing youth training systems. Guangxi has previously had NBL teams. Guangxi Weizhuang won three NBL championships but withdrew from the NBL last year due to various reasons. If Zhu Fangyu can successfully operate a new NBL team, or rebuild based on Weizhuang, it would certainly be worth following.

A few days ago, Guangdong played a warm-up game in Zhaoqing, and former Guangdong player Zhao Jinyang was also at the venue supporting his former team. After leaving Guangdong, Zhao, nicknamed 'Little Sheep', opened his own training camp in his hometown and invited former Guangdong interior player Li Yingbo to serve as a coach, with the two starting a business venture together. Many fans regret that Zhao Jinyang did not fully develop during his time with Guangdong. According to the report, after leaving Guangdong to play in the NBL, he still did not make a significant impact, which may indicate that his individual ability had limitations. Guangdong's development of him was not completely without issues, but that was not the sole reason for the end of his CBA career.