Pang Zhenglin from Guangxi shines with a career night! CBA, he arrived late!

Let's talk about a player well-known in the Liangguang area: Pang Zhenglin.

He is famously called "Old Six" by fans.

Last night, facing the tough Shanghai team, Pang Zhenglin delivered a career night.

He shot an impressive 11 out of 16, scoring 32 points along with 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block, becoming the season's first rookie to surpass 30 points in a single game.

In the first half, he was perfect, making all 7 attempts for 21 points, sharing the top spot for half-time scoring among local players this season with Guo Haowen and Chen Yingjun.

Although he didn’t help Jiangsu secure a win, it was still a significant personal breakthrough for Pang Zhenglin.

In the CBA, he clearly arrived late.

A player capable of CBA-level play at 23 only entered the draft at 26.

On the NBL stage, he was a local superstar, earning prestigious awards like the NBL Finals MVP (2022) and Regular Season MVP (2023).

Rather than playing CBA individually, he preferred to promote to the CBA together with Guangxi Weizhuang.

Unfortunately, the league expansion has been delayed for a long time.

Disheartened Guangxi Weizhuang, coupled with financial pressures, disappeared from the NBL this season, clearly unable to sustain.

Against this backdrop, the team’s best player, Pang Zhenglin, was finally able to enter the draft.

According to unofficial news, Ningbo originally planned to pick him with the fourth pick, but Jiangsu, holding the third pick, beat them to selecting this "older rookie."

The intention was clear: since Cui Xiaolong, also from NBL, was traded to Shanghai, they wanted to pick another from NBL.

From a development perspective, joining Jiangsu is a very good choice.

Because the team... is quite weak.

For any draft player, draft position isn’t crucial; what matters is whether the team gives opportunities.

Especially with the new season changing to 40-minute games and foreign player usage still capped at 7 times over 4 quarters, it’s very tough for domestic players to get playing time.

Many players who can score 30+ points only show their potential in developmental matches.

Jiangsu used to be glorious but now ranks near the bottom among the 20 CBA teams in terms of domestic player strength.

This situation gives Pang Zhenglin a stage to perform.

Of course, the prerequisite is that he must be strong enough himself.

He is a distinctive guard, fast, with excellent court vision, and skilled at accelerating to push the fast break.

This season, he averages 20.7 points and 4 assists per game; if he maintains this level, he stands a good chance of winning Rookie of the Year.

His impressive CBA performance is very inspiring in Guangxi, as seen on social media platforms. The affection he brings to local fans even surpasses that of Xiao Cui and Liao Sanning.

The reason lies in his background.

He started with badminton in his early years, switched to basketball at 12, began in the small town of Heshan, Guangxi, progressed through amateur sports schools, Weizhuang youth team, and NBL... He is truly a homegrown player from Guangxi’s youth training system, a hometown talent.

Another point is before joining the CBA, he frequently appeared in various grassroots streetball tournaments. He might have even represented your village in competitions, creating a unique closeness.

So if Pang Zhenglin can succeed, both Jiangsu fans and those from the Liangguang region will be equally delighted.

Lastly, it’s meaningless to praise a player to the skies after just one game. His thin frame makes him vulnerable defensively, and his three-point shooting lacks consistency—these are issues for Pang.

But I am certain he definitely has the ability to establish himself in the CBA.

Jiangsu did not make a wrong choice.