After being eliminated by the Beijing Men’s Basketball Team, the Guangdong Hongyuan team stopped at the quarterfinals of the playoffs, officially ending their season. Head coach Du Feng stated in an interview that he has no regrets, noting that Guangdong has already won 11 championships and has achieved plenty. “If not winning a championship is a regret, then many teams over the years have never won one—would they be living in regret?” he said.
Regarding Xu Jie, after the season ends, he will officially head to the United States for a training trip. This season, Xu Jie’s performance fell short of expectations due to injuries and other factors, particularly in the playoffs where his overall play was mediocre. Xu Jie hopes to continue improving through this training.
On the front of Zhu Fangyu, the offseason has arrived, and it is time for him to get to work. Guangdong significantly strengthened their roster last year, and this year Zhu Fangyu faces an equally heavy task—the team still needs to enhance their depth.
Following their loss to Beijing, Guangdong failed to reach the playoff semifinals for the second consecutive season in team history, a far cry from their title aspirations at the start of the season.
When asked by reporters whether he had any regrets, Du Feng responded: “Regrets? I don’t think there are any. Every season, whether you achieve results or not, there is something to learn. If not winning a title means regret, then we have won 11 championships. Many teams have never won one—are they all living in regret?” Du Feng’s words carry some logic. There is only one champion, and all 20 teams aim for it, but often many talk big while few deliver. However, given the significant investment Guangdong made this year, ending with essentially the same result as last season, Du Feng may not feel regret, but the team’s investors and sponsors likely think otherwise. The CBA is a commercial league; it demands profits, results, and returns on investment. This year, Guangdong’s investment did not match the returns, which is the true cause for regret.
Xu Jie’s performance this season indeed fell short of expectations. As a two-time All-Star vote leader and the face of the Guangdong team, scoring zero points on 0-for-3 shooting in a crucial playoff game was disappointing. Of course, Xu Jie himself wanted to contribute to the team more than anyone, but his overall form and technical preparation were lacking this year. Despite this, Xu Jie remains determined. Instead of thinking about vacation after the season, he immediately contacted his agent to arrange training in the United States. Yes, Xu Jie has concrete plans to train abroad, aiming to shore up his weaknesses and amplify his strengths. Life is about constant improvement.
With Guangdong’s season concluded, General Manager Zhu Fangyu officially begins his work. If the regular season and playoffs are head coach Du Feng’s stage, then the offseason is where Zhu Fangyu shines. Last year, Guangdong made several key roster moves, and this year they are expected to make major operations once again. In terms of contract renewals, players like Huang Mingyi, Du Runwang, and Zhang Wenyi are approaching the end of their contracts—Zhu Fangyu must negotiate with them. For foreign player signings, he needs to find stronger imports and negotiate extensions with players like Samner and Quinn. Additionally, he must continue targeting suitable forwards and centers for reinforcement. Most importantly, he needs to bring Xu Xin back to the team. In short, Zhu Fangyu has plenty of work ahead.
