Will you suffer from "Lee Kyle Dependence"? China Men's Basketball Europe | China Men's Basketball | Transformation Period
After narrowly defeating New Zealand by one point in the final game of the 2023 German Super Cup, the Chinese men's basketball team ended their European training and set off for their final preparations for the 2023 World Cup in Shenzhen today.
In order to better prepare for the 2023 Men's Basketball World Cup, the Chinese men's basketball team has been going to Europe for training since early July. Over the past month, the Chinese men's basketball team has played a total of 8 warm-up matches, achieving a record of 3 wins and 5 losses. Among them, they won against Egypt, Cape Verde, and New Zealand, but still showed a significant gap when facing strong teams such as Italy and Germany, especially when facing the German team, the difference in points between the two sides reached 49 points.
On July 24th, while the Chinese men's basketball team was training in Euler, Li Kaier, who played for the NBA, obtained Chinese nationality and became the first naturalized player of the Chinese men's basketball team. Two days later, Li Kaier went to Europe to meet up with the Chinese men's basketball team. Less than 10 days after returning to the team, Li Kaier made his debut for the Chinese team in a match between the Chinese men's basketball team and the Italian team. Although the Chinese men's basketball team lost 61-79 in this game, Li Kaier, who came on as a substitute, performed well, contributing 11 points and 6 rebounds. As he became more familiar with the Chinese men's basketball team, Li Kaier's performance also gradually improved. Facing the New Zealand team was the last game of the Chinese men's basketball team's European practice. Li Kaier, who was still on the bench, contributed the highest 18 points of the game and grabbed 5 rebounds. He also completed a steal in the final moments of the game, helping the Chinese men's basketball team narrowly win by 1 point.
The European training tour of the Chinese men's basketball team has shown us two sharp contrasts. On the one hand, Li Kaier's increasingly outstanding performance has brought rare victories and hope to the Chinese team. His scoring ability, stable mentality at critical moments, and leadership demeanor on the field have all injected new vitality into the team. In the final battle, his positive and negative values of+19 clearly demonstrated his tremendous contribution to the team. During his presence, the Chinese team appeared more organized and determined.
However, the hidden issues behind it cannot be ignored. The Chinese men's basketball team is undergoing a deep transformation period, attempting to shift from traditional tactics dominated by centers and core guards to the "Europeanization system" advocated by head coach Jorge ć. This transformation is not achieved overnight, it requires time, experience, and the joint efforts of the team. Li Kaier's outstanding performance, although bringing victory to the Chinese team, may also bring another hidden danger to the team - excessive dependence.
This is particularly evident in the match against New Zealand. When other players cannot find their form and their attack is not smooth, they may instinctively seek out Li Kaier, hoping that he can drive the whole team in singles. This tendency may bring victory in the short term, but in the long run, it will limit the growth of the team and the development of other players.
Li Kaier's physical management and strategic choices in the first two quarters showed that he is not just a scorer, but also has excellent coordination and coordination skills on the field. But the question is, can the team really fully utilize this characteristic? We need to recognize that basketball is a team sport. When a team relies too much on a player, when that player's condition declines or gets injured, the entire team may encounter problems. But during this European training session, we had very few expectations for the "tacit understanding" between Li Kaier and his teammates. And the team needs more time to adapt to the new tactical system, rather than relying solely on one player.
Li Kaier's attitude towards playing for the country has won the love and respect of fans. After the game, he also stated that the rules of the FIBA are different from those of the NBA, and he needs to adapt as soon as possible and use the last opportunity to adjust his form to prepare for the upcoming World Cup.
Li Kaier's performance has indeed brought hope to the Chinese team, but at the same time, it has also exposed the team's problems in the transformation process. Faced with the upcoming challenges, the Chinese men's basketball team not only needs to maintain the momentum of victory, but also needs to find the true core and tactical positioning of the team.
It is reported that the Chinese men's basketball team is returning to Shenzhen this time to participate in the International Solidarity Cup under the International Basketball Federation. The Chinese men's basketball team will face the Olympic and World Cup runner up Serbia in this competition, which is also the first opponent of the Chinese men's basketball team in this World Cup.
The 2023 Men's Basketball World Cup will start group stage matches on August 25th in three countries: the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia. The Chinese men's basketball team will be in Group B with Serbia, Puerto Rico, and South Sudan. In this World Cup, the top two from the European and American regions, as well as the first place from the Asian, African, and Oceanian regions, will directly qualify for the Paris Olympics. Therefore, "connecting directly to Paris" has become the top priority for the Chinese men's basketball team in this World Cup.
