What's going with Du Feng? What's happening with the Guangdong team? Let's talk about these two topics!

Guangdong Hongyuan defeated Xinjiang at home, seemingly pulling out of a slump with 4 losses in 5 games.

During this period, head coach Du Feng has faced immense public pressure, even with rising calls for his dismissal.

The criticism mainly focuses on his in-game decisions and player usage strategies.

The newly crowned All-Star MVP Xu Jie has seen a sharp decline in recent games, even scoring zero points in two matches, and Hu Mingxuan's form is equally troubling...

The star-studded foreign player lineup hasn't gelled well, and interior defense remains leaky.

I watched the live broadcast last night, so today let's discuss this topic:

“What's going with Du Feng? What's happening with the Guangdong team?”

Yang Ming, who has stepped down as head coach of Liaoning men's basketball team, commented as a guest analyst specifically on the coaching pressure Du Feng faces.

He noted that despite leading the team to a National Games championship, Du Feng still faces huge controversy due to unmet league expectations, stressing that “every coach deserves respect” and calling for understanding of the profession's difficulties.

Indeed.

Guangdong and Liaoning are two particularly special teams in the CBA.

While enjoying glory and applause, a head coach also faces immense public pressure.

This pressure comes from fans, media, and leadership.

So during the game, seeing the nearly empty Hongyuan home stadium, one feeling I had was:

Du Feng has visibly aged recently.

The pressure behind this is可想而知.

Thinking back to his triumphant days during the National Games... the contrast is stark.

In terms of honors, Guangdong Hongyuan is the CBA's top powerhouse, and this season's heavy investment undoubtedly aims for the championship.

But based on current performance, they are distant from that goal.

The main issues are these:

First, ball distribution.

Why has Xu Jie recently struggled? He doesn't have the ball in his hands.

In the first phase, he was the team's most reliable ball-handling organizer, now relegated to standing in the corner.

No ball possession, no rhythm.

Why is Hu Mingxuan also performing poorly? It's been said many times: he can't play the point guard position.

Additionally, Samana, Quinn, and the recently returned McCall also need some ball possession.

Currently, the sacrificed player is “Xu Jie.”

If considering effectiveness, the ball is safest in his hands...

Second, roster composition.

The team looks strong on paper, but interior issues are significant—defense and rebounding.

Salinger is an offensive-oriented player.

Jiao Boqiao, who was highly expected, is in poor form, seemingly beaten down mentally, with lost spark in his eyes.

Wang Shaojie is a mobile interior player, lacking in both physique and toughness.

In the past, fans often mocked “swap Su Wei,” right?

If the team had someone like him now, Li Yanzhe wouldn't feast so easily inside.

What Guangdong lacks most now is a blue-collar interior player who can hold position, protect the rim, and rebound.

Third, tactical approach.

Recently, a popular term is “modern basketball.”

Among CBA teams, Guangdong Hongyuan might play the most modern style, right?

But the result?

If three-point shooting isn't accurate enough, playing so-called “modern basketball” will only lead to more losses.

Samana's fast-break ability is indeed formidable, arguably top in the CBA.

But he also has a major weakness: outside shooting isn't stable. (Quinn shares this issue)

With two foreign players lacking three-point prowess and no interior rebounding strength... it's可想而知.

In set-play situations, Guangdong has limited solutions.

Fourth, having too many cards can also be problematic.

Every coach has his philosophy; as ordinary fans, we shouldn't question Du Feng, who has already achieved success.

But one feeling I have is: sometimes having too strong a roster isn't easy to manage.

With local cores like Xu Jie and Hu Mingxuan, plus three foreign stars Samana, Quinn, and McCall, the team seems powerful but actually陷入人人都能打，但人人都难打透的尴尬.

“Having many cards” is never the issue; the issue is how to choose.

One mistake might lead to being benched; who can stay in form...

Take reigning champion Guangsha as an example; Wang Bo often has limited cards, no luxury of five-in-five-out rotations, so he simplifies rotation and focuses on core players.

For playoffs, a fixed 8-10 player framework is essential.

But now it's mid-March, and Guangdong Hongyuan's main focus still seems unclear...

Who is the main offensive point? Who is the defensive anchor? Who gets the ball in crucial moments?

Long rotations indeed helped Du Feng achieve significant success.

But remember, in that past lineup, some specialized in defense, others in offense, some in coordination—each had clear roles and seamless integration, based on distinct functions and明确职责.

Finally, one point I want to mention (personal feeling, may not be accurate):

Du Feng's challenge isn't just tactical combinations, but also rebuilding trust amidst fluctuating morale.

From the games, this team doesn't seem very united.

Many players seem burdened with worries...