Guangdong Lose to Shenzhen by 8 Points in Warm-up Game: Xu Jie Scores 7, Wang Hongze Drops 24, Chen Jiazheng Gets 14, Huang Mingyi Impresses

The warm-up game between Guangdong Southern Tigers and Shenzhen Basketball Team concluded on September 4 Beijing time. After four quarters of competition, Guangdong ultimately lost to Shenzhen and missed the chance to secure a winning start to their summer warm-up games. In terms of player scoring, Xu Jie scored 7 points, Wang Hongze scored 24 points, Chen Jiazheng scored 14 points, Huang Mingyi scored 5 points, Zhang Wenyì scored 11 points, Yang Yi scored 11 points, Zhang Haojia scored 5 points, Zhang Jiarui scored 2 points, and Zhao Baole scored 2 points.

Guangdong mainly gave young players opportunities tonight. Xu Jie only played in the first half and barely appeared in the second half, with Yang Yi mainly handling the ball for the Tigers. Yang Yi's issues were still obvious: he lacked a three-point threat and only made one of the several shots he attempted. However, his playmaking, passing and defensive intensity were not problems.

Wang Hongze and Chen Jiazheng could be considered Guangdong's brightest performers in this game. Wang Hongze improved his strength and physicality, handling Shenzhen's local big men with ease and looking very comfortable. Chen Jiazheng also made significant progress, especially in ball-handling and rebounding, producing several impressive plays. Huang Mingyi received many opportunities tonight. The new head coach placed great importance on him, putting him directly into the starting lineup and giving him plenty of playing time. Huang Mingyi spent more time at the power forward and center positions in this game. He lived up to the new coach's trust, showing strong aggression on offense, looking to attack the rim for dunks when receiving the ball in the post, and completing several attractive driving layups. Defensively, he was Guangdong's most efficient rim protector in this game. Huang Mingyi once again made people feel that if Du Feng had given him more opportunities in previous seasons, his ability would have been far beyond what was shown.

This game was Guangdong's first public warm-up match of the summer and also the debut of new head coach Yakovlevich. Not much could be seen tactically, as several key players and foreign players had not yet returned. However, the game showed that the new coach values pick-and-rolls and defensive discipline, while also continuing Guangdong's traditional tendency to play at a fast pace. In addition, he is clearly an encouraging coach. When players made mistakes, he did not criticize them but instead clapped to help them stay focused, and he would also pull players aside for careful instruction. When players made impressive plays, he immediately applauded and offered further encouragement.