6 out of 5! Completely outshining Zhang Zhenlin! The top blue-collar forward of the Chinese men's basketball team

Watching the Chinese men's basketball team play requires keeping a fast-acting heart pill handy.

In the second window of the World Cup qualifiers, they first came back to defeat the Japanese team (87-80), then staged another comeback against the Chinese Taipei team (100-93), securing two consecutive wins. Currently, the Chinese men's basketball team holds third place in Group B with a 2-2 record.

This victory was largely due to the team's roster depth, leveraging a stamina advantage to deliver a decisive 29-16 run in the final quarter. The Chinese Taipei team, on the other hand, relied heavily on a frantic seven-man rotation. Stars Chen Yingjun and Lin Tingqian, both products of the CBA, gave their all, and naturalized center Gao Boka also performed well. Unfortunately, basketball is ultimately more than a three-man game.

The Chinese men's basketball team utilized a 12-man rotation, although Zhang Zhenlin and Jiao Boqiang saw only minimal, inconsequential playing time.

Zhang Zhenlin was a DNP-CD in the second half of the previous game against Japan, and in this match against Chinese Taipei, he was relegated to a marginal role. His position on the national team is now precarious, having been overtaken by players like Zhu Junlong and Li Hongquan. With the eventual return of Zeng Fanbo and Wang Junjie, he might not even make the training camp roster.

He is an all-around wing player, but the issue is he lacks a standout skill. Unlike 3-and-D forwards like Zhu Junlong & Li Hongquan, who have clear roles, don't demand the ball, play with high energy, can space the floor, and contribute with physical defense and rebounding, they naturally earn more favor from coach Guo Shiqiang.

Particularly Zhu Junlong in the game against Chinese Taipei, who was nearly flawless from beyond the arc, hitting 5 of 6 three-pointers and contributing a team-high 19 points along with 4 rebounds and 2 assists.In the previous game against Japan (shooting 1 for 5), he had 6 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists. Regardless of his shooting touch, he consistently makes his presence felt and contributes effectively to the Chinese men's basketball team.

It's worth noting that Zhu Junlong has averaged only 0.7 three-pointers per game at a 31.4% clip and 4.8 points per game in the CBA this season. Yet, with the national team, he seems to have found his shooting form again, truly living up to being the team's premier 3-and-D player—not just excelling domestically but also performing on the international stage.

The third window of the World Cup qualifiers is scheduled for July 3rd and July 6th this year, where the Chinese men's basketball team will have rematches against Japan and Chinese Taipei. By then, we are expected to have a more complete roster and the advantage of playing both games on home court.