After finishing the last game of the 2021-2022 regular season, Nenking’s Loong Lions (aka Team Guangzhou) sets a new franchise record to acquire a playoff slot as the 8th seed overall, making it to the playoffs two years in a row and getting the first win in its playoff history.
Team Guangzhou has been efficient and stable last year, uniting as one to face ups and downs along the road and marching forward into playoffs in advance. Loong Lions shows its resolution to do whatever it takes to win a game throughout the entire season. The team will keep fighting in spite of it’s being knocked out in the first round.
This season, Team Guangzhou makes huge progress when handling the ball in clutch time. Coach Guo says, “I did intend to forge a brand-new Team Guangzhou as soon as I arrived here. Now, this is still my goal. There’ll be more fresh blood injected into the roster. Given more time, we’ll be one of the top teams in the league.”
Zhong Naixiong, honorary chairman of the board of directors of Nenking Group and president of Loong Lions Basketball Club, makes a conclusion for the last season, “what we’re doing, it’s like a jumping contest. Before we become a winner, we have to take multiple jumps that won’t make us to the top. It’s a tough but fruitful process. We’re no longer weak now, and we’ll be a top team in the future.”
This season, Chen Yingjun delivers his personal best, grabbing 15 double-doubles in 41 games (playoffs included) and becoming the 4th player in the CBA history to get “20 pts + 20 asts”. Chen averages 19.1 pts, 4.6 rebs, 8.9 asts and 1.3 stls with field goal percentage reaching 48.6%, in which his MPG, PPG, RPG, APG and FG% are career highs. His marvelous performance makes him into the second roster for the 2021-22 CBA regular season, and the All-Star squad for the very first time. Also, a couple of players benefit from Chen’s superb playmaking. Take Zhu Mingzhen, the second-year rookie, for example. He sets his career highs by averaging 12.7 pts, 3.7 rebs, and 1.6 asts with 44.1% field goal percentage in 40 games. Moreover, Tian Yuheng, Jia Mingru, Li Yanzhe and Zhang Zhanwei have all elevated their stats as well. And for Qi Haotong, Tong Jiajun and Liu Yancheng, they’ve been doing commendably in their rookie season.
The journey to glory is always full of stumbles. Team Guangzhou has been crippled by injuries many times this season as Guo Kai, Mason, Zhang Zhanwei and Wang Zhengbo have been out for dozens of games. For quite a long time, Team Guangzhou has to play with only one foreign player or even without one. Yet, other players stand out and take the team to the win. “Though we’ve set a franchise record, we can actually go further.” Guo Kai, Center of the team, says.
Better our skills and better prepared for a bigger purpose. Team Guangzhou will rise again for the new challenge. See you next season!
Notable records for 21-22 season
★Regular season standing: 8th overall (23W-15L), setting franchise records on standings and win rate
★Getting the first playoff win against Shanxi on Apr. 3, 2022
★Chen Yingjun tied his career high with 7 steals made in the game against Ningbo on Oct. 29, 2021
★Zhu Mingzhen scored career-high 33 points against Jilin on Oct. 31, 2021
★Guo Kai grabbed career-high 17 rebounds against Xinjiang on Nov. 2, 2021
★Guo Kai scored career-high 29 points against Guangsha on Nov. 5, 2021
★Li Yanzhe scored career-high 22 points against Jiangsu on Jan. 2, 2022
★Mason delivered career-high 15 assists against Zhejiang on Jan. 9, 2022
★Leaf scored career-high 47 points against Beikong on Jan. 20, 2022
★Chen Yingjun scored 26 points and delivered 22 assists against Shandong on Jan. 22, 2022, becoming the 4th player in the CBA history to get “20 pts + 20 asts”. 22 assists is Chen’s career high and the new record for a domestic player
★Chen Yingjun delivered 19, 22 and 17 assists in a row from Jan. 20 to Jan. 25, becoming the first player in the CBA history to make 17+ assists for consecutively three games
★Zhun Mingzhen got 17 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists against Shanxi on Jan. 25, 2022, which was his first double-double in his career and new highs for rebound and assist
★Zhang Zhanwei grabbed career-high 10 rebounds against Guangdong on Mar. 5, 2022
★Chen Yingjun got career-high 43 points against Guangdong on Mar. 13, 2022
★Leaf got 33 points and 20 rebounds against Fujian on Mar. 15, 2022, a new career high for his rebounds