Zhao Yanhao ushered in his comeback debut in the 19th round of the CBA regular season with a 129-103 victory over Tianjin. He played 25 minutes and put on an excellent performance, shooting 11-of-7 from the field, including 4-of-6 from three-point range, contributing 18 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block, with a plus/minus of +27. It is worth mentioning that Sun Minghui looked for opportunities for Zhao Yanhao many times in the game, and Zhao Yanhao did not live up to his trust, using Shenzhun to complete the assist of his teammates. After the game, Zhao Yanhao posted: "I'm back!."Setbacks only make me stronger!Perhaps it is not the light ahead of me that pushes me forward, but the dark abyss behind me.
Zhao Yanhao has suffered a number of setbacks in the past year. In November last year, he suffered a broken rib after a body collision with an opposing player in a match between Guangsha and Shenzhen, and needed to be out of action for 4-6 weeks. And a year ago in the playoffs, he was in the hospital for 28 days due to an injury before he could be discharged. Due to the inability to quickly resume high-intensity training, Zhao Yanhao returned in the 22-23 season, but due to injuries and tactical arrangements, his statistics hit a new low in the past five seasons, averaging only 24 minutes per game, contributing 108 points, 27 rebounds and 22 assists.
During this period, Guangsha cultivated Zhu Junlong and Zhao Jiaren, and their defensive performance met expectations, while Wang Bo also gained a lot of playing time and core positions. In contrast, there are some gaps in Zhao Yanhao's status in the team. Although he is known as Guangsha's "three less", as the highest-paid player in the team, his inability to play in key games illustrates the problem, and his condition is not good, so Wang Bo chose not to use him anymore. Therefore, Zhao Yanhao's comeback debut can only be said to be that the club gave him enough opportunities to adapt. He needs to prove his strength in order to truly enter the "three less" tactical position of Guangsha.
Guangsha's starting lineup has been made up of Wang Bo, Sun Minghui, Hu Jinqiu, Oliver and Zhu Junlong, while Zhao Jiaren has taken on the flanks to take on the offensive and defensive ends. Aside from the possibility of Oliver being replaced by Okafor, changes in other positions are unlikely. Zhao Yanhao is likely to be positioned as a sixth man, taking on some of the tasks of point guard and wing swingman, playing a role when he is on the court, especially through individual skill scoring. It will be a test for him to prove himself through his personal abilities. The Tianjin men's basketball team is not a strong team in the playoffs, and Zhao Yanhao needs to prove his strength in the fierce competition.
Sun Minghui was often caught in key games and heavily defended, while Hu Jinqiu struggled to score easily. In the new season, Zhao Yanhao may have more opportunities to play, but the key lies in how Wang Bo arranges his role. It is only after going through a tough test that he can really show his previous form, and this is the most convincing performance.