The men's basketball team's three-pointers seem a bit "off."

After two matches in the Asian Cup, the Chinese men's basketball team has secured two consecutive victories, which is pretty much the expected outcome. Compared to today's India, the first match against Saudi Arabia posed even more challenges for the team. Reflecting on India's first game against Jordan, which went into overtime, I began to question Jordan's basketball standards.

The Indian men's basketball team has a good average height, and several players have strong athletic abilities, with a few blocks today that left us somewhat unprepared. However, overall, their skills still seem a bit rough, and their defensive coordination is lacking; after a few solid rounds, the men's basketball team quickly widened the point gap.

Compared to the first match, the player who showed the most improvement today was undoubtedly Hu Mingxuan. In the first game, Hu Mingxuan went 0 for 4, with three-pointers 0 for 3, scoring only 2 points from free throws. Today, he scored 14 points in the first half, hitting 4 out of 7 three-pointers, clearly showing a return to form.

In the second half, Hu Mingxuan hit another three-pointer, finishing the game with 17 points after playing around 18 minutes. Today was a moment when Hu Mingxuan's shooting was on fire, with a series of three-pointers that were unstoppable. His role as a shooter at the shooting guard position suits him best; with Zhao Rui handling the ball in the starting lineup, Hu Mingxuan can comfortably take on the role of a scorer.

However, when Zhao Rui is off the court, Hu Mingxuan struggles to control the ball and appears less comfortable, making some awkward passes. Once he returns to an off-ball role, he looks much more at ease on the court. I hope Guo Shiqiang allows Hu Mingxuan to stay at the shooting guard position more often.

Today, six players from the men's basketball team scored in double digits, with Hu Mingxuan and Zhao Jiayi both scoring 17 points, the highest on the team. Zhao Jiayi was placed on the bench by Guo Shiqiang today, which seemed to help him play more freely. In the second half, he scored a series of points with offensive rebounds and three-pointers, which is where he feels comfortable.

Da Qiu played only 15 minutes today and did not return after being hit in the neck by an opponent. Nevertheless, he still managed to record 11 points and 10 rebounds. As long as Hu Jinqiu is on the court, the men's basketball team's offensive strategies will keep flowing; Da Qiu is absolutely central to this team.

In these two matches, Li Xiangbo didn't play for long, but I really liked what he showed on the court—fighting for offensive rebounds and constantly setting screens for his teammates, maximizing the role of a blue-collar worker. A team needs players like him.

After the last game, Wang Junjie, who was at the center of public opinion due to being DNP in the fourth quarter, performed even better today. Guo Shiqiang directly placed him in the starting lineup, clearly indicating his support; he definitely recognizes Wang Junjie.

Thus, the DNP in the last game's final quarter felt more like a gentle reminder from a mentor. I believe moderate reminders are acceptable; they don't equate to suppression. Many fans’ comments after the last game suggested that Wang Junjie was merely a placeholder, which was entirely unnecessary.

Today, Wang Junjie once again fulfilled the expectations of fans and Guo Shiqiang, shooting 5 for 5 and 3 for 3 from three-point range, achieving a perfect shooting percentage with 13 points. Before the game, Guo Shiqiang told Wang Junjie to ensure he locked down the opponent's number 19, Prince.

As a result, India's key scorer, Prince, finished with only 4 for 11 shooting and 0 for 3 from three-point range; Wang Junjie should be considered to have completed his task. It’s clear that Guo Shiqiang emphasizes defense, and the reason for starting Wang Junjie was also defense, while his perfect offensive efficiency was a pleasant surprise.

Wang Junjie's shooting is very smooth and confident, with a complete shooting form; he doesn’t require completely open shots and will shoot as long as he’s in his rhythm, which leads to successful shots. After two matches, I think Wang Junjie is fully capable of embodying the phrase "the future is promising."

The most surprising or astonishing aspect today was the men's basketball team's three-point shooting, with an impressive 15 out of 28 from beyond the arc, maintaining accuracy throughout the game. In the last match, the team shot 6 for 12 from three-point range in the first half, but struggled in the second half, finishing with a three-point shooting percentage of only 36.4%.

However, today they shot 8 for 15 in the first half and 7 for 13 in the second half. In the first half, it was Hu Mingxuan and Wang Junjie, while in the second half, it was Zhao Jiayi and Cheng Shuai Peng who continued the men's basketball team's outside shooting firepower.

If I remember correctly, in the previous four warm-up matches, the men's basketball team had a three-point shooting percentage exceeding 40%. At that time, I hesitated to draw conclusions, but now it seems that the improvement in their three-point shooting is not an illusion. Guo Shiqiang's team emphasizes spacing and ball movement, and the players are shooting three-pointers with more confidence, which explains their shooting efficiency.

I hope the men's basketball team can maintain this surprising shooting touch, as that could make Zhao Rui's podium goals a real possibility.