Zhizhi out of Chinese team

Far from resting on its laurels, the Chinese national team has undergone a major facelift since capturing the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) championship in Shanghai last year.

Six players from the ABC title squad are gone. Coach Wang Fei’s revamp struck out veteran Liu Yudong, Li Xiaoyong, Fan Bin, Zhang Wenqi, Zhang Jinsong, and believe it or not, Wang Zhizhi. In their place were recruited 6-4 Guo Shiqiang, 6-2 Lui Wei, 6-8 Chen Ke, 6-7 Zhu Fangyu, 6-11 Mo Ke, and 6-8 Du Feng.

It’s still not certain if Wang Fei will pull a surprise and reinstate Wang Zhizhi, the recalcitrant Dallas Mavericks forward. Wang refused to report to training camp in Beijing and instead played for the Golden State Warriors in the Southern California Summer League last month. The 7-1 star is rumored to be considering a defection to the US although he recently said he will suit up for China at the World Championships in Indiana on Aug. 29 to Sept. 8 if drafted.

Without Wang, the Chinese beat New Zealand in two of three exhibition games last June, won four of six games in a double-round international tournament last July, and took sixth place in the eight-nation Efes Pilsen Mini World Cup in Istanbul last week.

If Wang is reinstated, it will set a bad precedent particularly as former Olympian Ma Jian, in a previous ruling, lost his spot on the national team forever after choosing to try out for the Los Angeles Clippers instead of reporting to his Beijing mother club.

But it doesn’t look like Wang Fei is missing Wang Zhizhi, reportedly in the thick of negotiations to renew his Mavericks contract at an annual salary of at least $4.5 million. Wang was impressive in the summer league, scoring 14 points in the Warriors’ 137-112 decision over Dallas and compiling 14 points and 14 rebounds in Golden State’s 103-100 win over Memphis. He’ll certainly be useful in Indiana. However, Wang Fei appears prepared to go without the gangling frontliner.

Holdovers from last year’s ABC champion team are 7-5 Yao Ming, 6-11 Menk Batere, 6-6 Li Nan, 6-6 Hu Weidong, 6-6 Zang Cheng, and 6-8 Gong Xiaobin, Only Hu and Gong remain from the Chinese squad that won the Asian Games gold in Hiroshima in 1994. And Hu, Li, Gong, and Menk are the only veterans from the Bangkok Asiad.

Zhang, 24, was the same roughhouser who was suspended for two games during the ABC Championships last year. He figured in a bloody free-for-all in the China-Lebanon game. What escaped the scrutiny of organizers–perhaps, deliberately–was either Liu Yudong or Li Nan stabbing Lebanon’s naturalized player Joe Vogel with a pair of scissors on the arm and shoulder at the height of the 10-minute brawl. Liu and Li are too valuable for China to lose on suspensions.

Not surprisingly, eight of Wang Fei’s 12 players saw action for the Chinese squad that took the silver medal at the World University Games in Beijing last year. They are Yao, Menk, Zhang, Mo, Chen, Guo, Du, and Zhu. In that 24-nation tournament, China shocked the basketball firmament by whipping Greece, 96-75, the Czech Republic, 88-81, Canada, 79-73, Ukraine, 98-82, and the US, 83-82, before bowing to Yugoslavia in the finals. The US team was made up of collegiate players, three of whom were picked–along with Yao–in the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft last June.

The three draftees were Melvin Ely of Fresno State, Juan Dixon of Maryland, and Tamar Slay of Marshall.

In the New Zealand exhibitions, the 20-year-old Mo Ke stamped his class. The giant fired 19 points in China’s 89-74 win over the Kiwis who ousted powerhouse Australia for the Oceania slot at the World Championships. Mo is Wang Zhizhi’s replacement in the national team roster.

China proved its mettle by sweeping its last three assignments in the double-round 4-Nation tournament in Taiyuan and Dong Guang City last July. The Chinese finished the competitions on a strong note, beating Italy, 84-73, Australia, 84-70, and Yugoslavia, 85-82. Leading the charge for China were Yao, Menk, Hu, and the vastly-improved Li who’s developed a sharp eye from three-point range.

In Istanbul, China won two of five games, crushing Angola, 77-71, and Algeria, 90-58. The Chinese lost to Brazil by 35, to Turkey (featuring Sacramento Kings forward Hidayet Turkoglu) by 13, and to Bulgaria by two.

Li topped the Chinese in scoring with a 14.4 clip. Menk averaged 12.6 points and Ming, 12. Other consistent scorers were Gong (7.2), Guo (7.2), and Du (7.0).

Wang Fei’s starting lineup lists Yao at center, Menk at power forward, Hu at small forward, Li at offguard, and Liu at point guard.

Liu, 22, cracked the starting lineup because he’s Yao’s feeder in the Chinese club Shanghai Sharks. Liu displayed his stuff in Istanbul, dishing off five assists against Brazil and four against Algeria.

Guo, who plays for the Liaoning Hunters, has been a pleasant surprise for Wang Fei. He’s a shifty one or two guard. Wang Fei sometimes deploys 6-4 Guo and 6-6 Li together in the backcourt for size because Liu, at 6-2, is the smallest player in the cast.

Guo earned his spurs at the World University Games, hitting 13 points against Greece and 11 against Yugoslavia. In Istanbul, he got his baptism of fire, averaging 26.2 minutes. Guo got major exposure along with Yao, Menk, Li, Gong, and Hu.

Gong, 33, is the team’s senior statesman. He’s the stabilizing force off the bench. Gong has the ability to play five positions and that’s why he’s on course for his fourth straight Asian Games appearance. The youngest is 19-year-old Zhu.

Ming, of course, is the focus of China’s offense. He was the Houston Rockets’ first draft pick last June and depending on how the Wang Zhizhi problem is resolved, may or may not see action in the NBA this season. In Istanbul, Ming shot 66.7 percent from the line but a scorching 73 percent from the floor. Clearly, the way to stop Ming is to deny his touches and if he’s in scoring position, foul him before the takeoff.

Is China unbeatable in Busan? No. But it will take some doing to dethrone the Chinese. Last year, South Korea upset China, 100-97, at the East Asian Games even as Yao, Wang Zhizhi, Menk, Du, Zhang, Li, and Hu played. The secret to beating China lies in playing the extended zone defense to neutralize its size advantage on the low blocks. "When China’s size disappears, so do its chances as its lack of on-the-ball quickness outside allows for opponents’ incessant penetration into the lane," noted a scouting report.

In Istanbul, the Chinese had difficulty attacking the zone and weren’t quick enough to defend in transition. China’s offense is fueled by fastbreak points, three-pointers, and put-backs. The key is not to allow China to dominate the boards.