Okafor's Second Entrance Palace: The Forbidden Area Insurance of the Grand Mansion or the Superfluous People?In the history of the Chinese Basketball Professional League (CBA), there are many foreign players who have played for different teams, and some have even appeared on the same team two or more times. The performances of these foreign players have their own merits, and some of them can help the team achieve good resultsOthers struggle to adapt to the style and atmosphere of the team.
In this season, the Guangsha men's basketball team re-signed Okafor, an American interior player who had played for the team in the 2021-22 season, and this is his second time joining Guangsha. So, what does Okafor's Erjin Palace mean for Guangsha?Will he be able to find his place and value in Guangsha?Okafor is a traditional interior player with a strong body and excellent under-the-basket skills, having played five seasons in the NBA, the best of which was in 2015-16 when he played for the Philadelphia 76ersCan contribute an average of 175 points and 7 rebounds.
However, as the NBA's style has become more and more small-ball and perimeter, Okafor's style of play has fallen behind, and his defensive and projection abilities are not good enough to establish him in the NBA. As a result, he switched to the CBA in 2019Joined the Guangsha men's basketball team.
At Canton, Okafor's performance is not bad, and he averaged 22. per game in the regular season in 2021-229 points 113 rebounds, he also helped Guangsha break into the finals, but in the finals, he encountered a strong resistance from the Liaoning men's basketball team, and his statistics slipped to 158 points 88 rebounds, and Guangsha also ended in a 0-4 defeat. At the end of that season, Guangsha did not renew Okafor's contract, but chose a foreign player who was more suitable for the team's tactical systemThat's Wilzhe.
Wilcer is a spacious, interior player who not only has the bounce and explosiveness, but also has good three-point ability, and he averaged 23 percent per game in the regular season last season6 points 108 rebounds and a 3-point shooting percentage of 412%。His arrival has made Guangsha's attack more fluid and diverseHe also formed a strong inside combination with Hu Jinqiu.
However, due to the impact of the new crown epidemic, last season's CBA was forced to be interrupted, and before the resumption of the game, Wilzhe did not return to China for personal reasons, resulting in Guangsha having to temporarily find a substitute foreign aid, that is, Haddadi. Haddadi is an Iranian interior player with a wealth of international experience and has played in the CBA for several seasons, but his style is completely different from Wilzhe's, and he is more of a back-to-back singleHis defensive and mobile abilities are also not as good as Wilcher's.
As a result, his performance in Guangsha was not ideal, and he averaged only 14 per game in the rematch8 points 93 rebounds, and Guangsha was also eliminated by the Beijing men's basketball team in the semifinals. After the end of last season, Guangsha once again changed a foreign playerThis time they signed Oliver.
Oliver is a blue-collar interior player with excellent defensive and rebounding prowess, and he can also open up space to shoot three-pointers, and he averaged 183 points 106 rebounds and 35 three-point shooting2%。His arrival has made Guangsha's defense more solidHe also formed a complementary inside combination with Hu Jinqiu.
However, because Oliver's offensive ability is not as good as Wilzhe's, the Hirosha's offensive firepower has decreased, and they only averaged 104 per game in the regular season this seasonWith four points, they rank eighth in the league, compared to last season's average of 111 per game8 points, second in the league. As a result, the Cantons finished the regular season with a 29-11 record, which ranks fourth in the league, compared to a 36-4 record last seasonRanked first in the league.
In the middle of the season, Guangsha made another surprise decision, they re-signed Okafor, and this is his second time at Guangsha. This decision has confused many fans, because Guangsha already has two foreign players, Wharton and Oliver, and Oliver's performance is not bad, why should Okafor be brought back?Is it to buy an insurance for the team's penalty area to prevent Hu Jinqiu from being injured again?Or is it to add some offensive firepower to the team for the challenges of the upcoming playoffs?Whatever the reason, Okafor's second entrance to the palace is undoubtedly an important opportunity for himselfIt is also a severe test.
Because he has to face not only the team's tactical system and the adaptation of the atmosphere, but also the competition between Wharton and Oliver, as well as the doubts and expectations of fans and **. Can he find his place and value in Guangsha, can he provide more help to the team, and can he play well in the playoffsThese are all questions he needs to answer.