Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 389 Speculation on the Second Stage

On September 4, the Chinese team faced their final opponent in the group stage, Venezuela.

It's no exaggeration to describe them as a strong South American team; their style of play and energy impacted the national team in the first quarter.

To summarize Chen Fang's words to Andy: "Just as the coach predicted, they are a natural counter to the Chinese team."

Venezuela is an aging team with an average age of over 30. Their overall athletic ability has declined, but they have rich experience in international competitions and their tactical execution and intensity of competition remain outstanding.

They are particularly known for their defense, adhering to the belief that "rebounding is the first line of defense," and treating rebounding as the core of the game.

On the bench, Chen Fang and Andy kept exchanging opinions.

"They have a lot of subtle tricks up their sleeves, which they use to interfere with and delay us. They do the same during the offensive, and they love to fight positional battles and wear us down."

"Comenares and Ruiz in the inside position are both very experienced and good at using their bodies and skills, which makes it very difficult for Yi and Zhou Qi."

"Yes, Carrera, coming off the bench, is a bench thug. It's an interesting offensive and defensive strategy. The starters grind out the game, using free throws and inside scoring to maintain the basic rhythm, while the substitutes come in to score, speeding up the pace and playing a very tough role." Andy's assessment was more comprehensive.

"Our starting point guard, Guerinte, and our primary outside shooter, Zamora, both have excellent shooting abilities. When we collapse the defense, they shift their focus to the outside, which makes things very difficult for us."

"There is no absolute strong point among the starting five. The real scoring is Comenares and Carrera from the bench, supplemented by Zamora's outside shots and Guerente's drives and passes, forming a pattern of 'starters grinding out the set and substitutes grabbing points'."

Andy said to Chen Fang, "You might have to play. Although the score is close right now, the longer it drags on, the more dangerous it becomes."

Chen Fang nodded: "Let's see how the second half goes. There's no rush now."

The second stage is to calculate the total score, including the wins and losses of the five matches and the tiebreakers. Therefore, every match is crucial for the Chinese team if they want to advance to the quarterfinals.

On the court, Venezuela continued to slow down and position themselves, forcing the Chinese team to play a slow-paced half-court offense. They frequently used high pick-and-rolls by the two inside players, Comenares and Ruiz, followed by short cuts to the basket, and then, depending on the situation, made passes to the wings to facilitate the offense.

This left the Chinese team struggling to cope, with Zhou Qi, Yi Jianlian, and Hu Jinqiu all accumulating fouls, and the results were not satisfactory.

The score remained low, with small increments of points. China, relying on the attacks from Yi Jianlian and Zhao Rui, tenaciously kept the score close.

In terms of defensive strategy, Venezuela cuts off passing lanes—when double-teaming the ball handler on the strong side, the weak-side player closely guards the passing lanes, preferring to miss corner shots rather than allow the ball to be easily passed to the inside or top of the key.

This made it almost impossible for China to execute complete tactical plays. Yi Jianlian had to move to the high wing to receive the ball, and Zhao Rui's individual scoring became the only option.

In the commentary booth, Yu Jia was inevitably anxious. He kept complaining and criticizing Venezuela's underhanded tactics, believing that today's ruling was biased.

But Du Feng on the other side interpreted it this way: perhaps he couldn't solve it, but he could still see it.

"China needs a strong ball-handler at the top of the key to reshape the entire tactical system, punish Venezuela's defensive leniency, and force them to change their strategy through free throw percentage."

The implication was a subtle reminder to Chen Fang that it was time to play, as such an important match needed him.

Unfortunately, Chen Fang remained motionless on the bench until the end of the first half.

During halftime, Du Feng explained his view that Venezuela led 42-45 by three points in the first half.

"First, break up the game with rebounds, then reduce the opponent's efficiency with half-court physical battles, and finally force the Chinese team to take hasty shots through local double-teams and line cutting, thereby turning the 'disadvantage of athletic ability' into the 'advantage of experience and confrontation'."

"This is a typical case of experience winning over strength, just like on a local basketball court, a group of young guys just can't beat people in their thirties or forties."

"We will use a lot of covert tactics to disrupt things, resolutely implement positional warfare by attacking from the inside out, and occasionally make substitutions to bring on fast and impactful substitutes to engage in a few high-speed offensive and defensive rounds."

"Venezuela has a very strong ability to grab rebounds. When they get an offensive rebound, they don't reorganize the play. They go straight for a second-chance opportunity under the basket or pass the ball to the shooter. They take multiple shots in one possession to disrupt our rhythm."

"In positional play, we used a slow-paced setup plus pick-and-rolls to score. Gullient/Lewis used a screen to pull up for mid-range and long-range shots, and Comenares/Ruiz used their bodies to overpower our inside players after cutting to the basket."

"Once we collapse, Zamora and J. Vargas on the weak side at 45 degrees are ready to receive the ball and take a three-pointer."

"This pick-and-roll-drive-and-shoot chain is simple, but the pace is slow and the rounds are long. By rushing for rebounds and pressing on the spot, it drags the opponent into a physical battle mode."

"This put the Chinese team in a very difficult position, putting them in a dilemma regarding their defensive strategy."

"Without Chen Wang's opening play, the problems exposed by the Chinese team are worth pondering."

"The Chinese team was quite passive today, relying on individual strength to keep the score close. Hopefully, the situation will change in the second half."

"Coach Li Nan needs to make changes."

In the home team's locker room, Li Nan had already received the solution from Andy and began to plan the tactics for the second half.

"In interior defense, we focus on protecting the rim and rebounding, not allowing the opponent to enter the paint at will. We must double-team decisively and force them to pass the ball passively. Our perimeter players should pay attention to switching on defense indefinitely and disrupting the play."

"Obtain the rebound in the backcourt and immediately launch an attack. Be determined to attack down the flanks. The ball handler must quickly cross half-court without hesitation and attack the basket whenever possible. Other players must get into position quickly. After the second pass, shoot decisively and grab rebounds to speed up the pace of the game."

"In positional offense, we shouldn't worry about whether the tactics can be executed. Keep your eyes on the basket, take the shot when there's an opportunity, and while rushing for rebounds, retreat quickly on defense, focusing on setting up defense in the middle."

"We need to fight Venezuela in a run-and-gun style. Their weakness is that they are slower than us. We need to force them to run."

Li Nan was also furious. He had a really frustrating first half. After Andy's analysis, he immediately agreed with the offensive and defensive strategy for the third quarter. If it failed, Chen Fang would come on in the fourth quarter.

At the start of the third quarter, the Chinese team substituted Guo Ailun, Zhao Rui, Li Kaier, Yi Jianlian, and Shen Zijie.

This combination boasts the strongest overall speed and excels in both offense and defense. Guo Ailun and Zhao Rui's tasks are extremely simple: to break through defenses with the ball. Whether in positional or open play, they must keep running.

Li Kai'er plays as the center playmaker, Yi Jianlian follows up with fast breaks at center, and Shen Zijie plays as the last line of defense to protect the rim.

At the start of the match, Venezuela seemed very out of sorts. When faced with the choice of whether to follow or not, the five players had a disagreement. After two minutes, their head coach, Fernando Duro, was forced to call a timeout to unify their thinking.

But in those two minutes, China had already taken the lead, 49 to 46.

Venezuela scored only one point from a penalty kick.

After the timeout, Carrera and Zamora, two players who can run and shoot, were substituted into the game, clearly wanting to compete with the Chinese team and compare their strengths.

At this moment, Guo Ailun's strong ball control and Zhao Rui's strong physicality were well demonstrated. As the core of the Chinese team's outside players in this tournament, they dominated a large number of ball possessions and gained the right to shoot. Through their own characteristics and abilities, they launched a series of fast breaks.

Two consecutive 2+1 layups ignited the passion of the Wukesong Arena, with the 2 fans cheering wildly.

The score gap widened again, reaching 55-46. Fernando Duro could no longer call a timeout, so he used hand gestures to remind the players to return to their original strategy and made substitutions to bring the starting lineup back onto the field.

The Chinese team's morale soared. They were confident in their strategy and executed it decisively without hesitation, displaying a "you do your thing, I'll do mine" attitude.

The 9-point gap became an insurmountable barrier, and no matter how Venezuela tried to catch up, someone from the Chinese team always stepped up.

The most deserving of praise is Li Kaier. Without Chen Wanghou, he was criticized for his low scoring, but he reversed his poor performance in this game.

He made floaters, three-pointers, and drew fouls at the free-throw line, keeping up throughout all three quarters and racking up an all-around stat line of 15 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

Chen Fang repeatedly stood up to applaud and cheer for Li Kaier, and Duan Ran also made a corresponding commentary: "Li Kaier's addition has given the Chinese team the ability to not be afraid of any team in the three and four positions. In particular, Li Kaier's hexagonal ability value gives the Chinese team enough room for error in any situation."

"This is why Chen Wang is confident enough not to play this match. Compared to the second stage of the competition, he needs more rest time to alleviate his unhealed left foot injury."

Duan Ran took the opportunity to explain why Chen Fang chose not to fight: compared to Argentina and Russia later on, Venezuela was indeed not good enough.

After three quarters, the Chinese team led 67-55 by 12 points going into the fourth quarter.

The chances of Chen Wang appearing on the field seem even smaller.

Chen Fang maintained a certain amount of warm-up in the player tunnel. His presence made Venezuela anxious and the psychological pressure increased as they failed to catch up in the score.

Andy also kept communicating with Li Nan, allowing Abu and Xiaochuan to rotate more frequently as tactical pieces, replacing them after two rounds when the ball was dead. His frequent tactical changes gave Fernando Duro a major headache.

Du Feng, who was in the commentary booth, also highly praised Andy's ability, but he couldn't name him. Instead, he expressed his respect by praising the entire coaching staff.

"Their on-field command ability in these matches is truly remarkable compared to the warm-up matches; it's like they've been looking at a completely different person in just three days."

"We don't stick to passively changing formations, but rather use small tactical strategies to drive the pace of the game and make it difficult for the opponent to cope."

"Often, the Chinese team makes changes as soon as the opponent adjusts their strategy. This asymmetrical change in strategy allows us to maintain an advantage in rhythm, which is the core reason why we are able to take the lead and establish a lasting point advantage."

"They're really strong." Du Feng was convinced. As an outsider, he had a clearer understanding of the gap after commentating on three matches.

This also strengthened his resolve to learn during the offseason. It's hard to imagine that an American college coach could build a reliable and solid offensive and defensive system for the Chinese team in such a short time, and continuously add to it and switch strategies according to the opponent.

But this is also the basic operation of advanced basketball tactics, and it is also the huge gap between the two.

The fourth quarter began quickly, and Chen Fang returned to the bench, looking ready to come on at any moment.

Unfortunately, the Chinese team, having played all three quarters, had adapted well to Venezuela's style of play and, with the support of the fans, maintained the initiative throughout, keeping the score around 10 points.

In the final three minutes, Venezuela, facing a 17-32 ranking, went on a rampage, with Carrera hitting two desperate three-pointers to bring the score to 87-81.

But at the crucial moment, Yi hit a mid-range shot first, and then drew a foul on Ruiz in the next possession, not only getting two free throws but also fouling Ruiz out of the game.

These four points put the Chinese team back in control, and even Chen Fang waved a towel on the bench, extremely excited.

In the final minute, the Chinese team slowed down the pace and took control of the game, which became fragmented. Li Nan did not call a timeout to give the opponent more time to adjust, and stood calmly on the sidelines with his hands behind his back.

As the final buzzer sounded, Yu Jia shouted, "93-85! Congratulations to the Chinese men's basketball team! Three wins in three games in the group stage! As the top team in Group A, we will advance to the second stage. Our next opponents will be Argentina and Russia from Group B."

"Stay tuned for the second stage of the group stage matches in Foshan on the 6th."

“Starting from the second stage, the interval between matches is one day, which poses new challenges to physical recovery and players’ competitive state adjustment.”

At the post-match press conference, Li Nan thanked the team for their excellent performance and also thanked the fans for their support. When asked by reporters what preparations China had made for the second stage, he replied: "Every step forward will be more difficult than the last. Even the most thorny paths cannot stop the Chinese team's determination and courage to move forward."

These words drew cheers from the audience. Li Nan now certainly has the confidence to speak so eloquently. The fact that they could beat Venezuela even without Chen Fang has given him tremendous confidence.

When asked by reporters why Chen Fang didn't play today, Li Nan already had a plan: "Our coaching staff and Chen Fang have had positive communication. From a tactical perspective, we want to test the limits of whether the Chinese team can win without him."

"We have prepared several plans to adjust according to the situation on the field, and Chen Fang is ready to play at any time to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

The reporter didn't press Li Nan's explanation further; after all, he won the game, so whatever he said was right.

For fans in the capital, tonight will be another unforgettable night. In the three games of the national team, Chen Wang only played for three quarters, which is inevitably a bit of a disappointment.

Just like in the previous match, they gathered at the place where the national team bus would inevitably pass by, and when the bus appeared, they sent it off with red flags and songs.

A reporter then interviewed fans, asking them how far the Chinese team could go. The fans' answers were surprisingly consistent.

"Reaching the quarterfinals is definitely not a problem, now the question is whether we can make it to the semifinals."

"The opponents ahead are all very strong. I think as long as the Chinese team goes all out, we can accept any result."

On the bus, Andy, sitting next to Chen Fang, was already thinking about their opponents in the knockout stage.

"If we win four out of five games, we could be second in Group I; if we win all five, we'll be first in Group I."

"The opponents for the quarterfinals will be from Group J, which consists of C and D, with Spain, Serbia, and Italy being the most likely candidates."

"If you had to choose, who would you pick?"

"I'm not considering Italy, it's too difficult for them to qualify. I don't know which is better, Spain or Serbia." Chen Fang didn't actually have much information about the World Championships; he only knew that Spain beat Argentina in the final.

"If we can beat Argentina, we have the strength to reach the final. If we lose, we will face J1. So whether it is Spain or Serbia, they will be our biggest obstacles to the semi-finals."

Looking at the old man, Chen Fang's eyes gleamed.

“Starting from the next match, I have to go all out.”

The old man nodded with a smile: "I'd also like to see if you're a nuclear weapon on the FIBA ​​field as well."

"Yes, it is!" Chen Fang replied confidently, a smirk playing on his lips.

Looking out the window, the Chinese team chartered a plane overnight to Guangzhou to prepare for the match the day after tomorrow. The emotions brewing across the land are not yet strong enough. Only when the Chinese team takes that concrete step and stirs up those alluring hopes will people start to go crazy.

4 days left!
(End of this chapter)