Have Lao Ma and the Beijing team been thoroughly analyzed? Defending champion swept in the first round?

Four titles in four years – that’s already a dynasty, though it lasted for a relatively short time, making it more of a pseudo-dynasty. Beijing’s problem is that it’s relying on its past success; its veteran players are reaching the end of their careers, the new players aren’t up to par, and injuries add to the issues. There’s also a problem with their mindset – they think they’re the best in the world; even if you give them a 50-meter head start in a 100-meter race, they still believe they can catch up. How is this possible?

The difficulties this season were greater than anticipated: Li Gen left, Zhu Xi was unable to continue playing throughout the season, and both Sun Yue and Zhai Xiaochuan played with injuries. As a result, unexpectedly, Liaoning brought in Randolph; there was no time to make any arrangements, and this instead affected morale. However, they won the third away game by 18 points against Xinjiang, and in the second game they lost by only 3 points after being awarded 20 free throws in the final quarter – which still demonstrates their strength.

This season in the CBA, every team is fighting against the current; if they don’t make progress, they will fall back. Beijing wasn’t well-prepared in the first place; with poor recruitment, they lost Li Gen as well. Just looking at the signings made by strong teams like Liaoning and Sichuan, it’s clear that we are far behind them. The so-called championship mentality, the strong teams in the playoffs – all of it has turned into a joke. Losing is not scary; just try again next year.

Are Beijing strong in the playoffs? They were truly strong; Lao Ma played despite having fluid buildup in his body, and with half of their key players injured, they still managed to break Xinjiang’s home-field unbeaten record and won by 18 points. You can’t judge basketball based solely on paper stats; teams like Beijing and Guangdong are capable of exceeding what those stats suggest. Liaoning has a balance between paper strength and actual performance. Shandong has strong paper-making capabilities, but fails to bring them into play, and there is also internal strife. Of course, on-paper strength is also important; Sichuan’s ability to defeat Guangsha decisively after having Meng Da and Deng Haha is indeed a great example of how they became stronger. Guangsha was indeed quite disappointed; the playoff performance was far worse than that in the regular season. If, I mean if, Beijing brings in Yi Li next year or has Chang Lin return, then next year they will be strong enough to compete with Liaoning again

Next year, Beijing should still focus on addressing its weaknesses in the interior play. After all, those who were injured this year will be back, and the teams that performed well this year all have strong players in that position: Liaoning has Han Deju, Randolph, and Li Xiaoxu; Xinjiang has Blecher and Zhou Qi; Guangdong has Yi Jianlian and Diogu; Sichuan has Hadadi and Harris. The only concern is that some people and the media might not maintain a proper attitude – losing is just losing. As Coach Min said, “Let’s fight again next year”; what’s there to be so special about that? It’s like being a post-hoc strategist; questioning the referees and talking nonsense is what lowers one’s credibility. I think Beijing still has a solid foundation, and there are plenty of opportunities

Well said! The center and power forward positions need to be strengthened; one player should be added to each position, at least someone who can defend and rebound, like Li Xiaoxu or Dong Hanlin. To prevent injuries, an important strategy is to have more players participating in the games. The Beijing team has too few players compared to other strong teams; after all, it’s not possible to play 40 minutes per match. The club’s leaders have a long way to go. Personally, I think Dong Hanlin is a good fit. Du Feng doesn’t trust him, but in fact he has good physical condition and strong defensive skills; he can also provide support in the interior of the court, making him a valuable candidate for helping the team get back on track.