Official announcement! Goodbye, Xu Jie! The 12-man roster for the Chinese men's basketball team has been released.

FIBA has officially updated the 12-player roster for the Chinese men's basketball team competing in this year's Asian Cup, as follows:

Gao Shiyan, Hu Mingxuan, Liao Sanning, Cheng Shuai Peng, Zhao Rui, Wang Junjie, Yu Jiahao, Zhao Jiayi, Hu Jinqiu, Zhu Junlong, Li Xiangbo, and Raymond.

As a result,it means that Xu Jie and Zhang Ning have been excludedand both players were part of the team that went to Saudi Arabia, but they might now have to return home or remain to watch the games or act as practice players.

Last season in the CBA, Xu Jie averaged 15.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.4 steals per game during the regular season, while averaging 16.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in the playoffs; Zhang Ning averaged 16 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in the regular season, and 13.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in the playoffs.

It is not surprising that Xu Jie and Zhang Ning were left out, as they had very little playing time and opportunities in the previous warm-up matches, making it difficult for Guo Shiqiang to select them for the official games.

The schedule for the Chinese men's basketball team in the Asian Cup is as follows:

August 5, vs. Saudi Arabia (host);

August 7, vs. India;

August 9, vs. Jordan.

According to the rules, the group winner directly advances to the quarterfinals, while the 2nd and 3rd place teams compete in cross-matches for the remaining spots, and the 4th place team goes home. Considering the relatively weak strength of the opponents in the group stage, it should be no problem for the Chinese men's basketball team to advance to the quarterfinals, with the possibility of facing their old rivals, the South Korean men's basketball team, in the first knockout match.

This year’s Asian Cup sees a severe shortage of personnel for the Chinese men's basketball team, as key players such as Yang Hansen (Trail Blazers training camp), Zhou Qi (lumbar spine injury), Zeng Fanbo (lumbar spine injury), Zhao Jiwei (cricoid cartilage fracture), Zhao Weilun (academic commitments), Zhang Zhenlin (recurrence of old injuries), and Cui Yongxi (anterior cruciate ligament tear in the left knee) are all unable to participate, placing immense pressure on Guo Shiqiang.

Guo Shiqiang can only hope that the current roster of the Chinese men's basketball team can play perfect team basketball, with strong performances from all positions, in order to achieve a good result in this year's Asian Cup, at least making it to the semifinals.