(Graphic via China Daily)

We have a saying over at NiuBBall: There is no parity in the Chinese Basketball Association.

Understand: Since the CBA went to a best-of-five format for the first round and semis in 2005, never has there been a do-or-die Game 5. Since the CBA went to a best-of-seven format for the finals a year later, only two teams – Bayi and Guangdong, both seeded 2nd, in 2007 and 2011 – have upset the regular season’s best team. Only one series has gone past Game 5 – last year, when Guangdong beat Xinjiang in six. In that same span, only three lower seeds have upset the higher seed.

The CBA is entertaining for many reasons, but the playoffs is definitely not one of them.

Its predictability has affected even the postseason schedule makers: best-of-five first round series take the 1-2-1-1 format in which the lower-seeded team hosts Game 1, based off the reasoning that attendance will be higher if a fan base’s optimism hasn’t been completely dashed by their team being in a 0-2 hole.

This year, though, we’re guaranteed at least this bit of variety: for the first time in three years, there will be at least one new team in the finals. That’s because Xinjiang and Guangdong are on the same side of the bracket, which means if everything goes to plan, they’ll play each other in the semis.

Expect it – and every other series – to go according to plan.

That doesn’t mean that we’re not rolling out the red carpet on this, though. Because in addition to reading a breakdown of every single first-round series here at NiuBBall, you can also check out Andrew Crawford’s roundtable approach to previewing things over at Shark Fin Hoops. Two English-language CBA Plaoff previews? Now that Niu Bi.

And while you’re at it, check out main man, Anthony Tao, and his new site Beijing Cream, which will cover everything and more about China’s capital city. Tao and NiuBBall are xiongdi – in 2010, he wrote great stuff about Stephon Marbury’s first season in China when he was with the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons, a piece that not only stood (and still stands) as one of the best ever written about Chinese hoops, but also one that inspired me to start this blog in the first place. We’re honored to have this preview appear on his site, and we’re looking forward to pitching in more CBA coverage throughout the playoffs and beyond.

And now, without further ado…

(Note: all start times subject to change.)

#1 Guangdong Hongyuan Southern Tigers (25-7) vs. #8 Fujian SBS Sturgeons (17-15)

Regular Season Series:
(12/21) Guangdong – 85 @ Fujian – 90
(2/8) Fujian – 116 @ Guangdong – 126

Playoff Series Schedule:
Game 1: Tonight 7:30 pm, @ Fujian
Game 2: Friday (2/24), 7:30 pm, @ Guangdong
Game 3: Sunday (2/26), 7:30 pm, @ Guangdong
Game 4: Wednesday (2/29), 7:30 pm, @ Fujian (if necessary)
Game 5: Friday (3/2), 7:30 pm, @ Guangdong (if necessary)

The question isn’t whether the Southern Tigers will win their fourth straight championship and eight of the last nine – feel free to pause to let that sink in – but how many games they’ll need to do it and who they’ll beat. So there’s absolutely no chance of a first-round upset…

Yet – a big yet, but yet – if there was a team with a fighting chance of achieving the most monumental upset in Chinese basketball history, Fujian would be the pick. Able to trot out three foreigners to Guangdong’s two because of its abysmal record last season (a quirk in the CBA rules), Fujian can compensate for its inferior Chinese roster better than any other team in the playoffs. And those foreigners are good. In his first season in China, Will McDonald has become the hands-down best center in the league, blending the inside-outside game he developed in Spain with solid work on the boards. The tireless Zaid Abbas, the team’s Asian import, led the league in rebounding (14.7 per game) and minutes (42.7). Anthony Roberson rounds out the foreign lineup doing what he’s always done: shooting the air out of the ball, which is good if he’s hot (bad if he’s not).

But the best thing about Fujian’s imports? They actually match up pretty well with their opponents. Guangdong’s center combo of Su Wei and Wang Zheng have no offensive skills to speak of and don’t move well on either end of the floor, which means they’ll likely struggle to guard McDonald, who can stretch the floor. The more athletic yet smaller Dong Hanlin might have to shoulder that burden. The ever-active Abbas will make James Singleton work very hard to get his. And Roberson, who can and sometimes does go completely off, will probably have to garner at least some defensive attention from Aaron Brooks, who will resume his NBA career as soon as the season ends.

As CBA watchers know though, talking about foreigner matchups is usually a moot point when it comes to Guangdong, a team that relies on its Chinese guys to get it done: Wang Shipeng, Zhu Fangyu, Zhou Peng, Chen Jianghua, Dong Hanlin and, yes, even the aforementioned duo of Su Wei and Wang Zheng make up seven of the top eight Chinese players in the series. So long as Brooks doesn’t get caught up trying to match Roberson’s shot total and does what he does best in this league — work out of the pick and roll and get into the lane at will — Guangdong will be more than fine.

*Roberson, who has been battling an injury the last few games, missed practice today and his status is in doubt for tonight’s game.

Prediction: Guangdong in 4

#2 Beijing Shougang Ducks (21-11) vs. #7 Zhejiang Guangsha Lions (18-14)

Regular Season Series:
(12/28) Guangsha – 118 @ Beijing – 112
(2/15) Beijing – 94 @ Guangsha – 114

Playoff Series Schedule:
Game 1: Tonight 7:30 pm, @ Guangsha
Game 2: Friday (2/24), 7:30 pm, @ Beijing
Game 3: Sunday (2/26), 7:30 pm, @ Beijing
Game 4: Wednesday (2/29), 7:30 pm, @ Guangsha (if necessary)
Game 5: Friday (3/2), 7:30 pm, @ Beijing (if necessary)

While Wilson Chandler is back in the U.S. getting a haircut for the first time since August and negotiating a $40 million-plus contract, the team he used to play for, the Guangsha Lions, is trying to figure out how in Mao’s name to replace the singularly most destructive foreigner in the CBA (when he wanted to be) not named Stephanie Smith.

They can contemplate all they want, but the reality is that they won’t find that replacement. Well, technically they have found a replacement, Hangzhou old-hand Rodney White. But let’s be clear: 2007 Rodney White ain’t walking through that door. And even if he was, it probably still wouldn’t be enough. So even though they swept the season series vs. Beijing, they’re about to get paid back in full. It’s a sad thought when you consider that the Lions were in third place in mid-December and looking like somewhat serious title contenders.

If you ignore, for a moment, the Chandler-exodus storyline, Guangsha’s season was interesting in its own rights – and also interesting because it mirrored Beijing’s. The Ducks sprinted out to a 13-0 start, then lost 11 out of the next 19. Yet because of the instability in the teams under them, Beijing was able to hang on to second place.

A lot of that incredible start was due to Stephon Marbury, who has played his butt off every night in a city he now considershome on a team with players far more talented than his teammates in Shanxi and Foshan. He was always meant for the big city, and in a place where he’s comfortable, his rededication to basketball is evident.

Two of his teammates, Zhu Yanxi and Zhai Xiaochuan, are in their first years in the CBA, and both have thrived playing with Marbury. Zhu, a rookie sensation who was picked up from China’s second-tier National Basketball League, is the most Euro China big man you’ll see in this country. That may be an insult in the NBA, but in China it’s a huge compliment. Big under the boards and accurate from deep, Zhu amounts to the Chinese poor man’s version of Ersan Ilyasova. Zhai has no far-fetched NBA comparison, but he is a young, long and bouncy effort guy who does nothing particularly bad.

The Ducks’ longer-term success, i.e. a trip to the finals, will be predicated on whether Chen Lei and Lee Hsueh-lin are healthy. The good news is that they’re both back in the lineup after missing extended time with injuries; the bad news is that they haven’t really gotten an in-game run in a while, especially Lee, who, before coming back in Round 33 against Shanghai – the penultimate round of regular season games – had not played since December 9.

It boils down to this, though: Guangsha is bummed about Chandler, and Beijing is amped on making a finals run. Quack, quack.

Prediction: Beijing in 4

#3 Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons (20-12) vs. #6 Shanghai Dongfang Sharks (18-14)

Regular Season Series:

(12/16) Shanxi – 90 @ Shanghai – 92
(2/3) Shanghai – 108 @ Shanxi – 119

Playoff Series Schedule:

Game 1: Tonight 8 pm, @ Shanghai
Game 2: Friday (2/24), 7:30 pm, @ Shanxi
Game 3: Sunday (2/26), 7:30 pm, @ Shanxi
Game 4: Wednesday (2/29), 7:30 pm, @ Shanghai (if necessary)
Game 5: Friday (3/2), 7:30 pm, @ Shanxi (if necessary)

As Jim Yardley just expertly shared with the rest of the world in his book, Brave Dragons, what the rest of the CBA has known for quite some time: the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons are a flipping mess of a team.

Run by an owner who can switch from head coach to assistant coach to video coordinator to sports psychologist on a whim – or just hold all those titles at once – the Brave Dragons have gone through coaches, general managers, translators and players of all nationalities at an alarming rate over the years as “Boss Wang” continues his search for people who will give him the instant results he craves. Not surprisingly, as success in basketball usually comes from a gradual building process that nurtures familiarity and chemistry, Shanxi had never made the playoffs since their inception in 2006.

Which is why this year is so special: The Brave Dragons are finally in. How’d they do it? Boss Wang reportedly stopped meddling (as much – he definitely still meddles), and he stopped trying to bring in big-name NBA players who may come with NBA talent but also bring their NBA requirements, which the coal city of Taiyuan is largely incapable of fulfilling.

Wang took the safe bet this summer by bringing in Marcus Williams and Charles Gaines, two players who have played inChina before and have had no problem adjusting to the culture while accumulating monster stats. The two have developed into the best and most dependable foreign duo in the league. Gaines, who’s been putting up huge numbers ever since he played for Xinjiang two years ago, enjoyed another fantastic season, averaging 29.2 points and 13.1 rebounds on 64.1% shooting. Williams, who turned around Zhejiang Chouzhou’s season last year after coming in midseason after the Mike James experiment blew up, hasn’t missed a beat in his second season, averaging 32 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.5 steals.

The problem for Shanxi, though: Nobody else can consistently score and nobody defends. Yeah, Lu Xiaoming can get out in transition and probe around for dump-offs and kick-outs, and Duan Jiangpeng has had some big nights on the offensive end, but this team starts and ends with their foreigners.

Shanxi’s obvious reliance on their foreign studs is in stark contrast to Shanghai. Allowing just 89.6 points per game, Shanghai boasts the stingiest defense in the league. First-year head-coach Dan Pannagio, following in the defensive footsteps of China national team coach Bob Donewald Jr. from two years prior, has stressed solid team D while also installing the equal-opportunity triangle offense. The jury’s still out on the effectiveness of the triangle — the Sharks score a league-low 91.1 points a game – partly because they’ve dealt with injuries. Ryan Forehan-Kelly, who played the triangle under Panaggio in the D-League, was enjoying a great season, possibly even a NiuBBall MVP-type season, in his familiar offensive surroundings before rupturing his Achilles in late December.

His replacement, Marcus Landry, and especially Mike Harris, who stepped up with some big games down the stretch, have both helped the team move forward. But several Chinese players do their part here. The Sharks go nine, occasionally 10 deep, led most notably by their two national team players, veteran point guard Liu Wei and the young, ever-improving 7-3 center “Max” Zhang Zhaoxu. Liu Ziqiu is one of the better Chinese perimeter defenders in the league and Meng Lingyuan provides a lefty herky-jerky change of pace off the bench.

Throw in the fact that Shanghai’s very-much-on-the-same-page American coaching staff will have the freedom to make whatever adjustments they deem necessary, while Shanxi’s half-American, half-Chinese staff may or may not depending on how Boss Wang is feeling, and you’ve got the makings of a very intriguing and competitive first-round series. But with two NiuBBall All-CBA first-teamers in Gaines and Williams and an important home-court advantage that will challenge the road-weary Sharks (4-12 on the road this year), we’re giving the nod to the Brave Dragons.

Prediction: Shanxi in 5

#4 Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers (19-13) vs. #5 DongGuan New Century Leopards (19-13)

Regular Season Series:
(12/25) Xinjiang – 90 @ DongGuan – 97
(2/12) DongGuan – 89 @ Xinjiang – 97

Playoff Series Schedule:
Game 1: Tonight 7:30 pm, @ DongGuan
Game 2: Friday (2/24), 7:30 pm, @ Xinjiang
Game 3: Sunday (2/26), 8 pm, @ Xinjiang
Game 4: Wednesday (2/29), 7:30 pm, @ DongGuan (if necessary)
Game 5: Friday (3/2), 7:30 pm, @ Xinjiang (if necessary)

No team has gone through more turmoil, more changes and more disappointment this season than the Xinjiang Flying Tigers. Once drooling over the prospect of having Kenyon Martin, Quincy Douby, Tang Zhengdong and Mengke Bateer all being coached up by the American head coach of the Chinese National Team, Bob Donewald Jr., the team is now devoid of all three of those Americans (Douby broke his wrist in pre-season, Donewald was fired 11 games into the season and Martin left shortly after with 12 games under his belt).

They’re also short the player they replaced Douby with, Australian national team point guard, Patty Mills, who was released controversially mid-season after tearing his hamstring against Guangdong on December 23rd. And now, they’re going to be short the player who they replaced Martin with, Gani Lawal, who is reportedly being replaced by Ike Diogu.

Not coming as a shock, the team is likewise devoid of any real shot at the championship that’s they’ve come up just short of achieving the past three seasons.

They will however, storm through DongGuan. Because even though this has been the most drama any team has ever had to endure in one season, Xinjiang is still a very good team, a much better one than their opponents. Though they haven’t been the force that some people thought they’d be, Bateer and Tang still get it done on the inside and DongGuan’s light frontline will be pushed around without too much effort. On the wings, Xu Guochong is as lights out as ever from three and Xirelijiang is as good a two-way guard this league has. And that’s just domestic players. Tim Pickett has done very well coming into the team on short notice and before being released, Lawal was serviceable as a rugged blue-collar rebounder.

The team’s make-up will change wit Diogu, but even if he starts a big sluggish, Xinjiang will still win this series. Though DongGuan head coach Brian Goorjian for the second year in a row has done a masterful job at the helm, leading his team to a No. 5 seed after starting the year 0-4, they don’t hold any discernable advantage in any key category. Xinjiang is bigger and better than DongGuan’s big man rotation of Shavlik Randolph, Zhang Kai and Sun Tonglin, and should dominate the offensive glass. On the perimeter, nobody American or Chinese can handle Pickett.

The one mystery, maybe the only one of this series, is how Diogu, who’s been sitting at home all winter while professional basketball has been going on all around the world, will play in the face of loads of playoff pressure. This being his first time in China, it’s quite a lot to ask of a player to come into a new country, play in a new league, and suit up for a team who is expecting you to carry them to playoff glory. Lucky for him, he’ll probably be able to gradually find his rhythm this series without it affecting the final result.

Prediction: Xinjiang in 3

In his first season as the Xinjiang Flying Tiger’s strength and conditioning coach, Curtis Donald has had the opportunity to work with a variety of different athletes, including three-time CBA MVP and former NBA player, Mengke Bateer. (Photo via NetEase)

Since the Chinese Basketball Association held its first season in 1995-96, the league has seen a steady increase in foreign players, coaches and consultants. But in recent years, the league has also seen a foreign increase in another area, one that is arguably just as important: strength and conditioning coaches.

Once a luxury reserved for only the Chinese Senior National Team, foreign professional strength and conditioning coaches have slowly been hired to work with Youth National Teams all the way down to the senior club level. This season, more than half of the CBA’s 17 teams have at least one foreigner on their strength and conditioning staff, a number that should — and probably will — increase in the future as the league continues to open its doors to foreign influence.

Because in a country that is still learning how to take better care of their athletes, the benefits of bringing in Western strength training and development are obvious. With many athletes training 10-11 months out of the year, the need to take care and improve players physically should be at a high priority. And with China’s ambitions on the international stage growing higher and higher, Chinese players need to be strong, flexible and explosive in order to stand up to the rest of the world’s elite athletes.

There’s still some way to go, but the results have already been pretty impressive. Last summer when the Chinese Olympic U-23 team played against the Duke Blue Devils in Beijing, we were impressed, but not totally shocked, to see China’s players have little if any difference in muscle tone, agility and athleticism in comparison to their American opponents.

Accordingly, more CBA teams are taking notice. As part of their off-season push to get over the championship hump that they’ve come up short in climbing the last three seasons, the Xinjiang Flying Tigers brought in the first foreign strength and conditioning coach in the history of the franchise, Curtis Donald.

Donald, who got his first gig with a professional basketball team as intern with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2009, knows a thing or two about Chinese basketball players. He worked as Yi Jianlian’s private performance specialist from the summer of 2009 until the summer of 2011, when he was hired to come to Xinjiang. During those two seasons, Donald was with Yi year-round, both while he was playing in NBA with New Jersey and Washington, and also while he was with the Chinese National Team during the summers.

And it was during those summers where Yi and Donald’s work especially paid off — forced to step into the team’s lead scoring role after Yao Ming’s retirement, Yi played the best and most complete basketball of his career at the 2010 FIBA World Championship, where he was the only player in the entire tournament to average 20+ points and 10+ rebounds, and at the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship, where he lead China to a gold medal and an automatic berth in the 2012 London Olympics.

With his first season in the CBA almost over, Donald and NiuBBall hopped on Skype for a discussion about the year in Xinjiang, what it was like working with Yi, and the state of Chinese strength and conditioning as a whole.

NiuBBall: You’re heading into the Playoffs tonight, describe your first year working in China.

Curtis Donald: It’s been challenging, just dealing with all of the changes we’ve gone through this year. And especially the injury bug that we’ve been hit by. First with Quincy [Douby] going down early and then Patty [Mills]. We had [Maierdan] go down, too. And then the changes to the coaching staff as well. So it’s been kind of a learning experience dealing with all of the issues.

NiuBBall: What were your expectations coming into this year? When you were hired for this job, what were your understandings about the Flying Tigers and their expectations?

CD: I just knew that they had a great tradition and basketball culture. They were consistently at the top of the league the last few years, so I knew expectations were going to be high. They had been to the Finals the last three years, so I knew anything less than a championship was going to be unacceptable. It was good to have those expectations. This season is only successful if you win the championship. Period. If you go undefeated and you lose in the championship, then the season didn’t matter. It was interesting to come in for my first head job and be a part of an all-or-nothing situation. It’s just very unique.

NiuBBall: The reality of that championship goal has changed because of all of the changes that have gone on within the team this year. How has that affected your own expectations as the season has progressed?

CD: It’s going to be a lot more difficult to win a title. But, having come in here with that mindset, I’m trying to maintain my belief that anything less than a championship is a failure. No matter what’s happened, I still need to treat the players and help them to the best of my ability. I came here in October to help this team win a championship. It’s February now and that hasn’t changed for me. Like I said, it’s going to be much more difficult, but it hasn’t changed how I approach my day-to-day.

NiuBBall: Take us through your responsibilities to the team. What do you do both on a day-to-day basis and on a more long-term, full season basis?

CD: My responsibilities include strength and power development, injury prevention, and if necessary, nutritional guidance. The day-to-day is all about having seamless communication between the coaching staff, players, team physician, and myself on players progress and potential issues.

Over the long term, I try to see improvement in a series of performance tests that indicate progress in areas such as lateral quickness, vertical jump, and linear speed. Improvement of these results is mostly seen in the off-season, but in-season we attempt to maintain those results. Also, throughout the season I am constantly evaluating players for movement inefficiencies or improper biomechanics.  Its important to develop and maintain proper movement patterns to keep each athletes risk of injury to a minimum.

It’s really a unique job. You train guys differently based on who they are, how much experience they have and how many minutes they’re getting. But then you’re also going on guys’ individual experience as well. Guys like Kenyon Martin, Patty and Quincy don’t do the same things as the 12th man on the bench. So it’s unique. You have a high-level NBA player to work with on one end that needs more corrective and preventative work so that he can avoid injuries, and you also have Chinese guys who fit into that category as well with Tang [Zhengdong] and [Mengke] Bateer. But then you have the  Xirelijiang’s and Meng Duo’s that you still need to develop, but they’re getting high minutes, so they’re kind of in between. Although this is a professional basketball team, the job has a lot of “college” aspect to it because you do need to develop players. The younger guys who maybe aren’t playing as much, you’re always trying to develop them. My favorite part of the job, has been the diversity between the different players goals and training experience.

NiuBBall: All of the foreign players are obviously used to the Western training methods that you’re using, but what about the Chinese guys? How have they responded?

CD: The players love it. I feel that they’re really interested in how strength and conditioning can elevate and extend their careers. They come to me after practice wanting more work, they ask questions about why they’re doing certain things. They are engaged in the whole process. They’re used to doing a lot of back squatting for example. But, I take the bar off their back and we do a lot of single leg work with a weighted vest. They’re a little confused about it at first, but then when it’s explained to them, they really respond and they start to understand that this is how you get better, this is how you stay healthy. They then start to realize that their knees feel better, or their back isn’t hurting, or whatever the case may be. Then that draws guys even closer to the system and the American way of doing strength and conditioning. To me, that I can affect their training habits and gain their trust, that’s been very gratifying.

NiuBBall: You talked already about Tang and Bateer. Both of them are former CBA MVPs and have played big roles in the National Team set-up. Now they’re late in their careers, how have they reacted to having you around the team?

CD: Let’s talk about Tang first. Luckily with him, he’s dealt with foreign strength coaches before because he’s played for the National Team in recent years. So he understood right away and he bought in right when I got here. Tang’s main issue is that he has a weight issue. It’s hard for him to manage his weight and when he gets above a certain weight his knees start to bother him significantly. When I first got here, we had Tang doing three workouts a day. Bob [Donewald Jr.] and I decided that we wanted to get his weight down as quickly as possible before all the travel started, so we had him doing pool workouts at lunchtime. While his teammates were sleeping – you know how much the Chinese players love their post-lunch nap – he was at the pool doing plyometrics and intervals with me. And he loved it. He was exhausted, but he was seeing results. He had already bought into it, and then once he started to see improvement, he really started to trust me.

With Bateer, it’s a little different. I treat him like an NBA guy. I give him a lot more freedom. He has way more experience than I do. I didn’t come in and try to dictate his routines or change the way he trains, I just gave him some ideas and approached him more casually. Like you said, he’s won MVPs and he’s been in the NBA, so he knows what he’s doing. But, he’s also stayed healthy for the most part. So what’s there for me to do? We discussed some things that we wanted to add and I give him a little bit at a time, but I kind of let him go on his own. And when he needs me, he comes to me. And I think that’s a great approach. I’m not going to force myself on a guy who’s had success.

NiuBBall: There’s a common belief amongst Chinese, especially within Chinese basketball, that Chinese bodies are genetically inferior to their Western counterparts and that’s why the Chinese are unable to develop high-level players. With your experiences, first with Yi and now with Xinjiang, do you buy into that?

CD: I do believe that they’re just not as athletic overall, but I think it comes down to how this country’s younger players have been training, both inside each club’s youth team and inside the youth national teams. You can train to be more athletic. You may not ever be able to jump out of the gym like an elite NBA athlete, but you can still improve. I think it’s an excuse. Chinese players miss a window of opportunity right after puberty to really gain athleticism, strength and power because of out-dated training methods.

NiuBBall: I think the obvious example right now is Jeremy Lin. He’s Asian, but was born and raised in the States, and now he’s starring for the New York Knicks.

CD: I think he’s a great example. He’s Asian, but if he’s not built like a Westerner, or he’s physically at a disadvantage or whatever, then why is he having so much success? It’s because he was raised in a different basketball culture and he took advantage of his opportunity when it came. So that can’t be an excuse if guys like Jeremy Lin are having the success that the is having.

NiuBBall: So is bringing over those Western training styles and teaching the Chinese how to use those methods an important step in developing athletes here?

CD: Absolutely.  There have been a number of Western strength coaches that have done a great job over here. I believe the hiring of these coaches must continue. There needs to be continuous effort to educate the Chinese in the area of strength and conditioning. There needs to be opportunities for junior team head coaches to be educated or there needs to be budgets to get some developmental strength and conditioning programs inside of teams, maybe getting a Westerner in there to run a program and teach the Chinese coaches. I think if there was an improvement on the youth level, middle school or high school level, it’d make a world of difference. It would prepare them to compete at a higher level internationally in events like the World Championship and at the Olympics. Ideally, they wouldn’t have to scramble around for the next Yao or the next Yi. They’d have a crop of guys who are just ready to step in and they’d have a lot of guys to choose from because they’ve been training the right way from an early age.

NiuBBall: How much of the things that you’re bringing to this team are being picked up by players? Whenever you’re done in Xinjiang, do you see them being able to use these things by themselves long-term? Do you think the organization will employ Western training methods down through the club?

CD: I think it just depends on the player. Guys who realize that this is how you’re supposed to take care of your body are going to continue to do it. A lot of it has to do with the culture of China. They’re very respectful to authority. So if you get a new coach who doesn’t do it this way, then they’re going to listen to their coach, no matter how different his strength and conditioning methods are from mine. So it just depends on the guy.

I don’t think I’ve been here long enough to change the culture of the team and the way the front office views strength & conditioning. But there are a number of former and current national team players that have had positive experiences with strength and conditioning that might be able to influence the front offices decision to keep western training methods around the organization. As for these methods being used down on the junior team level, it’s very unlikely until there is an obvious long-term financial benefit in developing young players that can be seen by management.

NiuBBall: You’re American, you’ve worked in America with the Clippers, but over the last two years you’ve been working exclusively within Chinese basketball. Now that you’ve had experiences with both sides, what are the major differences you’ve noticed between the U.S. and China in terms of strength and conditioning?

CD: The culture here is much different. I can only speak for basketball, but I’m sure it extends over to other sports as well. And that’s the quantity of work, the quantity of practices and the length of practice time over the quality of those practices. For example, it’s not uncommon at the youth national team even at the senior national team level to have a two-to-three hour practice in the morning and then another two-to-three hour practice in the afternoon. And some guys are on club teams where they do the same thing. So some players are doing what essentially amounts to 12 straight months of two-a-days. That’s unreal. When is there time to recover? When is there time to really get quality work?

And that brings up other issues. When you know you’re going to go through the same practice routine every day of the week for months on end, it’s human nature to find a pace that gets you through it. It’s not a pace that gets them better, they’re not going at an intense game-speed that will get them better, it’s this pace that gets just get them through the day. It’s survival, it’s “How can I survive through this day?” They know that they have a two or three hour practice in the morning and another one in the afternoon. So it creates a pace, and really a mentality, that slows development. It doesn’t develop a great athlete. They can never reach that world-class intensity because they’re just pacing themselves to get through each day.

If there’s one change that the sport culture in China needs to go through, the one that will give this country’s athletes the most benefit, I think they need to learn quality over quantity. Teach these guys to reach high intensities over shorter periods of time and then rest and recover.

NiuBBall: The prime example is of course Yao, who had to retire because of all the injuries and wear and tear that piled up on his body after playing year-round for so many years. Yi is also playing all year, how has that affected his career?

CD: I think it’s had a huge effect on Yi’s career, especially in the NBA. You have to understand: He goes through an NBA season, maybe he gets a month off after and if he does that’s a huge amount of time for a Chinese player to be resting. Then he has to report to the national team and play there. Luckily. Bob [Donewald] has been managing his minutes through all of the exhibition games that they play over the course of a summer and that’s definitely helped. But still, with the way the Chinese Basketball Association schedules the summer, it’s not uncommon for Yi to be playing nine games in 10 days. How can you expect a guy to play an NBA season, play an entire summer’s worth of games, play in a major continental or international competition depending on the year, and then go back and play in the NBA again?

Yi’s reputation is that he’s a soft basketball player. I’ve seen him play at the top of his game at the World Championship and at the Asia Championship. He’s not a soft player. But if he doesn’t find that rest, he just doesn’t have a motor. He doesn’t have any gas in the tank. He’s exhausted. And until they make some changes, they’re never going to see an All-NBA caliber player like Yao ever again.

NiuBBall: Let’s talk more about Yi. What was it like to work with him for those two years?

CD: It was a tremendous opportunity to help his career, both internationally and in the NBA. He’s a great guy to work for, he’s a true professional.

NiuBBall: What was he like as a client? What was the relationship between you two like?

CD: He was great, he reacted very well to having me with him. Yao had a foreign strength and conditioning guy when he was with the National Team and at that time, Yi was pretty young. So I think he saw the success Yao was having and I’m pretty sure that Yi thought that was the best route for him to go. Just in terms of that he’s being taken care of on the performance end, both in the NBA and when he’s with Team China, to have a guy guiding him through all the things he needs to do to get better and remain healthy.

We had full trust in each other. He had already committed to taking the advice of the people around him. It was his idea to bring someone in for himself. He thought, “I’m investing in my career, so I’d better take full advantage and listen to everything that this guy is telling me.” So right from the start, he had 100% trust in me and the entire process as a whole.

And you know, his work ethic is world class. Rarely did Yi cancel a session, unless it was something personal that he had to attend to that day. In Washington, we’d sometimes work into the wee hours of the night. Sometimes we’d meet at midnight and we’d be in the gym by ourselves, lifting and doing core work. His work ethic and commitment level were world class.

He’s a total professional. I’m really glad I had the opportunity to work for him because he opened up a lot of doors for me. If it weren’t for him and his people, and the opportunity that they gave me, I wouldn’t have been around the National Team, I wouldn’t have gotten with Donewald and I wouldn’t be here in Xinjiang right now.

NiuBBall: Curtis, thanks for the time and good luck with the rest of the season.

CD: Thanks, Jon.

After Guangsha allowed Wilson Chandler to return to the United States, the familiar Rodney White has been brought back to suit up for the team’s post-season run.

Edward Bothfeld also contributed to this story.

Zhejiang Guangsha, who played the entire regular season with Wilson Chandler, will now have to play the entire post-season without him after both sides agreed to let him return to the United States to negotiate his next NBA contract after he helped the team secure a Playoff berth. Chandler is already back in the U.S., where he is reportedly in discussions over a long-term deal with the Denver Nuggets.

Guangsha has signed Rodney White as his replacement.

Guangsha opted to bring in White because of his familiarity with the team and with the CBA.

White played for three seasons with the Lions from 2007-10 before playing for Shandong Kingston last year. In his last season for the Lions in 2009-2010,  he averaged 27 points and nine rebounds, leading them to the second round of the playoffs. He also has experience playing with Guangsha’s holdovers from that season, most notably P.J. Ramos, Lin Chih-chieh, and Jin Lipeng, all of whom are core players this season.

That said, White should fit into Chandler’s role better than any other options that were on the market. White had been playing for Anyang KGC in South Korea before getting injured, and arrived Sunday morning in Hangzhou in decent shape. If he can buy into Coach Jim Cleamons game plan, Guangsha will have a puncher’s chance against Beijing in the first round of the playoffs, which begin Wednesday.

In 29 games last season for Shandong, White averaged 22.4 points,8.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals.

Guangsha head coach, Jim Cleamons, who spoke to NiuBBall’s Edward Bothfled, welcomes his addition.

“Rodney is going to do well for us. [Wilson and Rodney] are not the same player, but they have similar characteristics. He’s not going to be the ball handler in the open court that Wilson is. Rodney’s been a successful player in this league for a few years and he has playoff experience.”

As for Chandler’s departure, there is some level of disappointment that he is gone, but most people within the Guangsha organization understand his position. “I’m very happy for him. I think he did what we asked him to do. He came over and played hard. He improved his skills so I think it was a good experience for him,” said Cleamons.

Cleamons himself did not learn that Chandler had been granted his release until the night it happened. Along with the rest of the Lions team, he was unable to say goodbye to Chandler before he left.

Still, his teammates understand Chandler’s situation, “I think they wish him well. If the shoe was on their foot and they had the opportunities that Wilson is going to have, they would wish him well,” added Cleamons, “ From a business perspective, they would understand. The timing could be better. It is what it is.”

Meanwhile, three-time Finals runners-up, Xinjiang Guanghui, is also making a change — again. Yesterday, the team officially announced that they have brought in former NBA lottery pick, Ike Diogu to replace Gani Lawal. It marks the fifth time this season that Xinjiang has brought in a new foreigner this season.

Lawal, who came in mid-season to replace Kenyon Martin, averaged 18.4 points and 12.3 rebounds on 61.2% shooting over 17 games. During that stretch, the team went 11-6 and climbed up the standings from tenth place all the way into fourth.

Though Lawal came in and was more than serviceable, and at times even dominant, especially on the glass, Xinjiang team management felt they needed to add more offense on their front line. With Mengke Bateer and Tang Zhengdong having struggled with their offensive consistency all year, the team felt they needed somebody who provide a a more diverse scoring threat.

Diogu comes into his first stint in China at a high-pressure time when Xinjiang is gearing up for their annual run deep into the playoffs. After not playing any professional basketball during the NBA lockout, Diogu was signed by the San Antonio Spurs on January 3rd, but was released one week later. With management’s notoriously sky high expectations for their import players, the heat will be on Diogu to step in and immediately perform at a high level.

It’s not uncommon for teams to replace foreign players right before the playoffs. Last year, Beijing swapped Joe Crawford out for Orien Greene, and DongGuan replaced the injured Jackon Vroman for Courtney Sims. Beijing’s move to bring in Greene backfired, however, as FIBA elected to extend a two-year suspension that was originally handed down in March 2009.

The 2012 CBA Playoffs start tonight with #4 Xinjiang going on the road to play #5 DongGuan, while #7 Guangsha will host #2 Beijing in Game One of the best-of-five first round.

With his off-court drama and on-court offensive explosions, J.R. Smith gave Chinese Basketball Association officials, coaches, teammates and fans a lot to remember this year and more.

As in, much more.

According to a report published by NetEase, Smith had US $1.06 million deducted from his salary over the course of the season for missing practices. Most of the missed practices came during pre-season while his team, Zhejiang Chouzhou, was getting ready for the start of the regular season. The sum was deducted from his salary, a final number that represented about one-third of his total salary.

Zhejiang Chouzhou general manager, Zhao Bing, said that the team was simply enforcing a clause in Smith’s signed contract and that the team gave him ample warning throughout.

“This was the arrangement when he came to the team,” said Zhao. “Every practice we let him know. If he expressed to us that he wasn’t going to come to practice, we’d tell him that in accordance with our contract, we’re deducting money from your salary. And he’d always get back to us with, ‘Whatever. If you’re going to take it, then just take it.’”

The article adds that Zhao Bing repeatedly told J.R. about the seriousness of the situation, but that he continued with the attitude that it was an unimportant issue for him.

Smith finished the season as the CBA’s top scorer, averaging 34.4 points per game.

Zhejiang Chouzhou finished with a 15-17 and did not make the playoffs, which allowed Smith to get his back-to-the-NBA FIBA letter of clearance earlier than most people expected. He recently signed a one-year $2.5 million contract with the New York Knicks, a deal that comes with a second-year player option.

Other than that he is going to be the next No. 1 in the Chinese Communist Party next year, not much is known about current China vice-president, Xi Jinping. A princeling born into Communist Party affluence before he was sent away to live in a cave during the Cultural Revolution, Xi has risen up the ranks on his penchants for business and not pissing people off. His wife, Peng Liyuan, is a nationally known singer who is widely considered to be more famous than her husband. He likes American war movies and his daughter, Xi Mengxe, attends Harvard.

And that’s pretty much what we know about Xi. By design, his leadership traits and politics remain largely a mystery. They’ll remain that way until afte he officially replaces Hu Jintao in 2013.

But Xi’s recent official trip the U.S., which marked his debut as the soon-to-be Chinese president, shed some more light on the man, including the very important news that he, like a lot of people in China, likes basketball and watches the NBA in his spare time.

Before putting the final touches on his five-day stay in the U.S., Xi took in a Lakers game at the Staples Center on Friday. Like most Laker fans, Xi arrived at the end of halftime and watched the entire third quarter and some of the fourth from a suite as the Lake Show beat the visiting Phoenix Suns 111-99.

To welcome Xi, Los Angeles mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, presented him with a personalized Lakers jersey. Magic Johnson and David Beckham among others came up to personally greet the man. And Lakers guard Andrew Goudelock had someone write a welcome message in Chinese to the Chinese visitor on his Peak shoes, which happen to be Chinese.

Xi’s visit to Staples, like everything else on his trip, was meticulously planned. Not that it matters — anybody who likes hoops is OK with NiuBBall. And Xi does like hoops. On his arrival in Washington on Monday, Xi told the Washington Post that ”I do watch NBA games on television when I have time.”

But what makes Xi more than just OK around these parts? He originally wanted to see the Clippers, and not the Lakers, which makes this Boston born-and-bred scribe extremely pleased.

No word yet as to whether Xi actually plays. If he does, then he’ll be added alongside Wen Jiabao as part of a potentially deadly combo that could match-up nicely in a game of two-on-two against any other country’s top squad of high ranking politicians. Which means just to be safe, someone in Barack Obama’s cabinet needs to start getting some shots up.

• Fans in New York — you know, because maybe, just maybe they want to watch — can now finally tune into The Lin Show after Time Warner Cable ended its blackout of MSG Network. That I can watch the Knicks in Beijing while people in NYC can’t is either a celebration of modern technology or simply just one of the dumbest things ever.

• Jim Yardley’s new book, “Brave Dragons,” is out in bookstores and Kindles and is obviously a must buy if you frequent this site. No, we’re serious. You have to buy this book. We just finished it this morning, and like this review, we came away thoroughly impressed by his wide-ranging account of Chinese basketball. We’ve got more good stuff on the book coming later in the week, so stay tuned.

• Mason Plumlee, inspired by Duke’s summer trip to China, is taking on a second major.

• In what serves as a nice little preview for the upcoming CBA playoffs, our man Andrew Crawford over at Shark Fin Hoops conducts a great interview with Shanghai Sharks head coach, Dan Panaggio.

• Chinese soccer’s “Golden Whistle,” Lu Jun, is facing some serious jail time after being convicted of match fixing. Meanwhile, Chinese basketball’s own “Golden Whistle,” Wang Zhuoping, is back in the CBA this season reffing games like nothing ever happened.

Beijing – 94 @ Guangsha – 114

For a full recap, check out Edward Bothfeld’s report from Hangzhou.

Box Score

Qingdao – 101 @ Foshan – 107

Guangsha’s win put Qingdao’s late season playoff surge permanently to rest, but Qingdao ultimately buried themselves by losing their must-win game at Foshan. Marcus Douthit lead all Dralion scorers with 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Michael Maadanly had 25 points, 11 boards and three assists. Lester Hudson shot a miraculous 35 shots, 20 of which were threes, en route to 34 points. Hudson finishes the season as the CBA’s second leading scorer at 33.5 points per game.

–Jon Pastuszek

Box Score

DongGuan – 114 @ Shanxi – 124

In the battle for third place, Shanxi were the ones who came away with the big win. Charles Gaines dominated with a 41 points, 10 rebound game; a performance only slightly more dominant than Marcus Williams’ 37 points and 10 rebounds. The win gives the Brave Dragons their first ever playoff matchup against Shanghai, while DongGuan will be matched up against Xinjiang.

–Jon Pastuszek

Box Score

Fujian – 79 @ Xinjiang – 104 

Tim Pickett played all 48 minutes and scored 42 points as the Flying Tigers made it a blowout by outscoring their opponent 32-15 in the fourth quarter. With the win, Xinjiang finishes the season in fourth place. Fujian drops to eighth.

–Jon Pastuszek

Box Score

Shanghai – 89 @ Tianjin – 85 

If there was ever a game that summed up the madness and drama of Chinese basketball, tonight was it. Shanghai got the victory- thanks to the uber-clutch Marcus Landry- but it was painfully close. However, what’s important now is that the boys from the Yuanshen are coming home with an 18-14 record before they return to north China to play the Shanxi Dragons in the first round of the playoffs.

As the game drifted into the final moments, the Sharks, having been down by around five points for most of the final quarter, suddenly burst into life and a splurge of well-taken opportunities brought Shanghai within a trey of the lead and Landry, lurking unmarked on the far left of the perimeter, had one more big shot left in the locker. Taking a couple of seconds to compose himself, the former New York Knick then dispatched his effort from downtown to give the Sharks an 86-85 lead with barely thirty seconds left.

When Zhang Nan failed his own moment of truth, the Lions had to give away cheap visits to the free-throw line to get the ball back. Harris converted both of his shots while Meng Lingyuan polished off his second effort and the Sharks were 89-85 winners at the death. Zhang Nan and Herve Lamizana both helped themselves to 22 points whilst Landry got 21 for Shanghai. Zhang Zhaoxu (19), Liu Wei (13), Mike Harris (12) and Liu Ziqiu (11), also made double-digit hauls.

–Andrew Crawford

Box Score

Guangdong added on to Bayi’s historically miserable season by doling out their franchise worst 22 loss of the season. Aaron Brooks played only six minutes, andJames Singleton played well below his normal burn with 24 minutes. Singleton managed 26 points and 12 boards, anyways.

–Jon Pastuszek

Box Score

Liaoning – 103 @ Zhejiang – 90

J.R. Smith’s last game in China ended with 25 points, 11 boards and another L as Liaoning was able to come up with a rare win away from home.

–Jon Pastuszek

Box Score

Jilin – 127 @ Jiangsu – 142

–Jon Pastuszek

Box Score

Coming off a disappointing loss to Jiangsu on Sunday and with playoff positioning on the line, Guangsha played with a heightened sense of urgency from the opening tip in their landslide 114-94 victory over Beijing on Wednesday.

Wilson Chandler set the pace in the first quarter, scoring 25 points on an array of outside jumpers and drives to the hoop.  Guangsha built a double-digit lead early and never looked back.

Fortunately for the Lions, Beijing was already locked in as the second seed heading into the playoffs and opted to rest their starters. Stephon Marbury and Randolph Morris, the Ducks’ two leading scorers, played a combined 11 minutes in the first quarter before resting for the remainder of the game.

After the game, Guangsha’s Jim Cleamons commented on Beijing’s rotation. “I understand what the opposing coach did in resting their players. I think we were focused and we would have played well even with their regular rotation. Obviously the game meant more to us than it did to them.”

In the second quarter P.J. Ramos picked up where Wilson Chandler left off, scoring 12 points. The crowd gave a loud ovation when the 7’9 Ming Ming Sun entered the game for Beijing and guarded Ramos. Size is Ramos’ main advantage, but with a taller defender playing 7 feet off him on the perimeter, he showed off his soft shooting touch, torching Ming Ming on multiple occasions.

Up 62-49 heading into the second, Guangsha continued to build their lead until the final horn. Wilson Chandler scored at will and finished with 41 points to go along with 18 rebounds. Ramos chipped in 23 points and 7 rebounds. With Marbury and Morris sitting, the Ducks were led by Zhai Xiaochuan with 18 points.

Heading into the playoffs, Cleamons is beginning to feel more confident about his team. “We are playing better. The challenge is to continue to play better each night. If we can get that consistency and extra effort that we had at the beginning of the season, I think we can be a team that other teams worry about.”

The C.B.A. playoffs are set to begin next Wednesday following this weekend’s All-Star festivities.

Follow Edward Bothfeld on Twitter @bothfeef

This is the last time you’ll see J.R. Smith in any All-Star gear — although fans voted into the CBA All-Star Game, J.R. Smith won’t be participating after the Zhejiang Chouzhou Golden Bulls were officially eliminated from the playoff race last night in Hangzhou. (Photo via NetEase)

Last night in the Chinese Basketball Association, the playoff picture got much clearer as all eight of the league’s playoff spots became completely set after the dust settled on Round 32. Though the match-ups aren’t lined up yet, Guangdong, Beijing, DongGuan, Shanxi, Shanghai, Xinjiang, Guangsha and Fujian will all be playing post-season basketball starting on February 22nd.

One team that is noticeably absent from that list is Zhejiang, who officially eliminated themselves from the playoffs after a loss last night at Guangsha. After starting a respectable 12-8, the Golden Bulls have gone  3-7 over their last 10 games, including disappointing stumbles to Tianjin and Foshan, losses which the end surely cost them.

As a result, one player will be noticeably absent as well, J.R. Smith. And not just from the playoffs.

According to an online report published by NetEase, Smith, who was voted in by fans as a starter for the upcoming CBA All-Star Game, is opting not to participate in either the game or any of its accompanying festivities during All-Star Weekend, which will be held from February 18-19 in Guangzhou. Smith will instead fly back the United States after the Golden Bulls play their final game of the season on February 15th against Liaoning.

Presumably, Smith will be flying back to negotiate and then sign his next contract in the NBA. Unlike Guangsha’s Wilson Chandler and Guangdong’s Aaron Brooks, all of whom will be playing in the post-season, Smith will be able to get his FIBA letter of clearance immediately after his team’s regular season ends on the 15th, which means he could be free to sign with an NBA team as early as February 16th depending on how quickly the clearance procedure can get done. Per CBA rules, Chandler and Brooks will have to wait until after their teams are out of the playoffs, as will Patty Mills, who will have to wait in the U.S. until Xinjiang plays out their post-season out despite that he was released mid-season.

*********

It’s a bummer because J.R. would have scored 60 points in his sleep. Watching him splash threes from 26-feet in between throwing down monstrous dunks as his Chinese opponents watched in glee would have no doubt been pretty cool.

But NiuBBall is always preaching balance — what is taken away must be given back. And in that spirit, we offer a way to buy tickets for the All-Star Festivities. Although it’s in Chinese, you can buy tickets online on DaMai.cn. If the Chinese characters are intimidating, it’s nothing a Chinese friend, Google Translate, or a user-submitted tutorial (that means you, fellow Chinese-English speakers) can’t help with.

By this point, which is now Day Eight of Linsanity, there’s already been quite a bit written and said about Jeremy Lin (some of which has even appeared on this very space). That won’t stop me from adding my drop in the bucket, though.

My Jeremy Lin story comes from Portsmouth, Virginia when I was covering the annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament for NBADraft.net in April 2010. The basketball was largely forgettable, but the one of the guys that stuck out was the kid from Harvard. Already aware of his considerable ability after he shredded my Boston College Eagles not once, but two years in a row, I wasn’t totally shocked to see Lin slipping by defenders on the perimeter off the dribble to finish at the basket with an array of in control gliding finishes.

But, I’d be lying if I thought he’d be dropping 38 on the Los Angeles Lakers in Madison Square Garden one day.

And yet, that’s where we’re at after the latest chapter of Jeremy Lin’s incredible story from virtually unrecruited high schooler, to undrafted NBA rookie, to the star starting point guard for the New York Knicks, was written in MSG last night after Lin torched the Lakers for 38 points and seven assists in a 92-85 win.

The Knicks, who were once in such bad shape that head coach Mike D’Antoni was counting on Baron Davis to save his job, have been been revitalized; the fan base, reinvigorated into a 1994 frenzy; and an entire nation, utterly captivated by an Asian-American Harvard grad who has been cut by three NBA teams over the last two seasons.

And no, while a nation named the United States is included in the captivation, that’s not the one I’m talking about.

In China, Lin is known by his Chinese name, Lin Shuhao (林书豪), and like the legions of Lin fans in the U.S. who are following his every move, the Chinese are getting down with Linsanity, too. The son of two Taiwanese-born parents, the American born and raised guard has considerable connections to both the PRC and Taiwan, and has stated how proud he is to be Chinese as recently as this week.

Just think about that for a second: With a 13-hour time difference between Beijing and New York, Linsanity is not only transglobal, it literally never sleeps. Which should make even the biggest of Lin supporters all the more happy knowing that the phenomenon is literally spreading round-the-clock.

These links should make them happy, too.

• Viewers in China weren’t able to watch the Lin Dynasty go up against Kobe and the Lake Show this morning, but thanks to some last minute schedule juggling by the people at CCTV-5, they’ll be able to watch him play versus the Minnesota Timberwolves tomorrow.

• Other than television sets, the Chinese interwebs are ablaze, too: Lin’s Sina Weibo page (Twitter with Chinese characteristics) is now up to 500,000 viewers. And 林书豪, finished second on finished second on the seven-day list of trending topics on Chinese search engine Baidu this week.

• Anyone who needs an explanation over Lin’s totally unpredictable rise to MSG legend hasn’t been paying attention — it’s Year of the Dragon, the most unpredictable year of them all! And as Shanghaiist points out, Lin was born as a Dragon, which means this year is his benmingnian (Chinese Zodiac year), which adds even more to the unpredictability! Now that’s exciting! Typically, one’s benmingnian has the potential to bring lots of bad luck… you know, if you believe in that kind of stuff.

• Maybe not a little known fact, but hardly a widespread one: While the NBA was locked out, Lin practiced and played a few games with the Chinese Basketball Association’s DongGuan New Century Leopards in September (H/T JeremyLin.net for photos). You can check out video here.

• Not China per se, but this quote is priceless from an Asian-American woman at a Lin viewing party in New York: “All the Asian-American guys want to be Jeremy Lin. And all the Asian-American girls want to marry him.”

• Chinese fans will like this: Jeremy Lin reads and writes a little bit of Chinese and speaks Mandarin well enough to be interviewed.

• Like us, Anthony Tao over at Heart of Beijing was watching this morning’s Wolves-Mavs game and noticed that down the stretch the two in-studio commentators basically stopped doing their jobs to probably watch the fourth quarter of the Knicks-Lakers game. Like we said, Linsanity is alive and well in China.

• It should be the last thing on anyone’s mind right now — but if Lin’s NBA career doesn’t pan out (for the record, we really hope it does), some people think he would be a superstar in the Chinese Basketball Association.

The NiuBBall water cooler: Where you can chat with friends about hoops while sipping either hot or cold water.

This chat originally appeared on Shark Fin Hoops shortly before last night’s games were played.

Fresh from penning a cracking article about Wilson Chandler for NiuBBall, Edward Bothfeld swings by to talk playoff runs, how to stay true to the CBA but still get paid in the NBA, Guangsha’s malaise, All-Star selections and the best and worst jerseys in the league.

Andrew Crawford: First question, on a scale of 1 to 10, how stressed as a Guangsha fan are you right now?

Edward Bothfeld: I don’t want to put a number on it but I don’t think the Lions will win tonight or Sunday or next Wednesday, and if they are fortunate enough to make the playoffs, I don’t think they will last long. I don’t know what happened before that Qingdao game (the one that snapped their winning streak) but it hasn’t been the same since then. They aren’t playing with any heart- they were lucky to win against Bayi, a game that should have been a blowout. I hope I’m wrong though- tonight will be telling against Beijing

AC: I’m guessing its still the same problem- an over reliance on Wilson Chandler, or do you think there is an even deeper problem going on?

EB: Its the reliance on Chandler and Ramos. Coach Cleamons said at the press conference that on defense, teams are putting a lot guys on Chandler, which is why he is settling for a lot of outside shots. Basically, they haven’t been able to get into a rhythm. If some of the supporting cast could hit some threes, they would be set but Lin Chih-Chieh has really struggled shooting lately and Jin Lipeng can only play a few minutes a night so there’s nothing to take the pressure off of PJ and Wilson, who I think is ready to head home and get back to the Nuggets. Danilo Gallinari, who Chandler would compete for minutes with, is injured so there are a lot of game time available for Wilson right now.

AC: Yeah, the Gallinari injury has been a nightmare for my fantasy team but in real terms, Chandler is suddenly a lot more important for Denver. What sort of fall-out do you think there could be if Guangsha fail to make the playoffs or sneak in but then don’t play very well?

EB: Well, Chandler won’t be back next year and I doubt Cleamons will be either. I think PJ is signed for next season but Guangsha needs some national team players as well as some good imports in order to really make some noise, so if the season ends poorly, there will be a lot of turnover. If I were the GM, I would keep Lin around as well as Wang Zirui, who is the youngest player in the league at eighteen but has earned more minutes as the season has gone along.

AC: Its been a crazy season so far- previously mighty teams like Jiangsu and Bayi have struggled, Xinjiang blew the roster up but are coming back strong and Fujian and Shanghai are still in the playoff mix- do you think we could see any more shocks in the next three games?

EB: The only consistent thing about the CBA right now is Guangdong. It will be interesting to see how the NBA-bound guys play in these last rounds. The Guandong-Xinjiang game will be interesting, although I guess almost every remaining game has playoff ramifications so it’s time to see who’s for real and who isn’t.

AC: The CBA is probably delighted right now- they couldn’t have asked for a more dramatic ending to the regular season. As for the NBA-bound players, I can safely say that Smith is still going hard having seen him do his thing on Wednesday against Shanghai but if I was his agent, I would be going crazy right now- JR’s chasing a multi-million dollar contract and the last thing any normal person would be doing is trying to drive to the basket in heavy traffic or fighting for rebounds with 6″11 forwards. You have to give Smith credit, he’s still going for the win every game despite his itchy feet.

EB: It’s refreshing to see that though. Guys like Smith, Chandler and Brooks are playing for NBA contracts that will most likely set them up financially for life. If I were in their shoes, it would be difficult to know what to do; wouldn’t they feel foolish if one of them suffered a serious injury in one of the last games? Its tricky; there’s something to be said for honoring your CBA contract, but at some point you have to be practical and whether you like it or not, money is an important aspect of life.

AC: Indeed. Looking at Shanghai for a second, they are in seventh place right now. Do you think they’ll still be there after games against Jiangsu, Beijing and Tianjin. First and foremost, I desperately want them to make the playoffs but a lot of people have talked about finishing seventh and getting a Shanghai-Beijing series, which could be massive.

EB: The Jiangsu and Tianjin games should be winnable Beijing might be tough since it’s on the road against a very good team. Ultimately, I think the Sharks will be there and a Shanghai-Beijing series would be a lot of fun

AC: Yeah, an old timers vs. new money derby in the playoffs would be epic, especially after the complete mayhem of the Ducks’ last visit to the Yuanshen. Basically, I just want them to get to the postseason but facing Beijing would make it even sweeter. I’m guessing you saw the All-Star line-ups? Any thoughts?

EB: Well, J.R. Smith is a fan favorite and Marbury was always going to be a safe bet but generally speaking, I don’t put too much into All-Star games. That said, the jerseys are awesome.

AC: Yeah, I will be interested to see who makes the bench- I didn’t think any of the Sharks who got nominated (Liu Wei, Zhang Zhaoxu, Mike Harris) would make the starting line-up but the Chinese pair might slip onto the bench. Is there anyone from Guangsha you think might make the final cut- I’m guessing Chandler is going to be the other overseas player for the South but will anyone else from the Lions creep in?

EB: Maybe PJ? His sheer size and intimidation abilities are an all-star attraction

AC: Perhaps, no chance for Jin or Lin?

EB: Jin is a fan favorite but only plays 18 minutes a night and sometimes doesn’t have any energy at all- it would be different if Guangsha were at the top of the standings but they aren’t, so I don’t necessarily think they deserve to have a bunch of All-Stars.

AC: Alright, last question; we touched upon the awesome All Star jerseys- aside from your team, whose got the best jerseys in the CBA?

EB: I have always liked Zhejiang jerseys- that might be because I’m a Bulls fan back in the States though and they are the Golden Bulls here.I look forward to seeing them live in Hangzhou next Wednesday!

AC: Yeah, I like Zhejiang too but for different reasons ie. the preposterously bright colours. I also like the Fujian Sturgeons jersey but more for the improbable animal that they blaze across the chests. Bayi’s are pretty sweet too- its simple but effective. I would say that Tianjin’s are the worst though. Like the team itself, not very eye-catching and lacking ideas.

EB: If I remember correctly I think Qingdao’s were pretty bland.

AC: I don’t know, I can roll with a bit of Qingdao but that’s just my conservative British tastes coming through. Anyways, I think that’s us done. thanks for your time, man.

EB: No problem. Let’s do it again

AC: For sure. Do you have a prediction for tonight’s Guangsha game?

EB: I think either we win in a tight one or Beijing wins by 10.

AC: Well, good luck all the same.

EB: You too.

“Sometimes you win games and don’t play very well.”

Coach Jim Cleamons’ post-game comment summed up Guangsha’s 90-89 win over Bayi perfectly. The match-up was hard on the eyes and both teams played like it was a rec-league game.

While Bayi is well out of the playoff picture, Guangsha’s lack of intensity is surprising, if not alarming, given they are vying for one of the final playoff spots.

Trying to mix it up and get off to a better start offensively, Jim Cleamons went with P.J. Ramos to start the game. But Guangsha’s offense was still stagnant and finished the first quarter down 16-19. Wilson Chandler, who was under the weather after missing the morning shoot-around with a headache, played the second quarter, scoring 5 points and leading Guangsha to 38-30 half-time lead.

Both teams’ complacent style of play continued in the second half. With Chandler starting the third quarter on the bench, P.J. Ramos scored 9 of his 20 points, including a spin move and lay-up while being fouled – after which he flexed his muscles to rile the crowd. Guangsha was able to score at will against Bayi’s nonexistent defense, but Bayi took advantage of numerous Guangsha turnovers, keeping their deficit within striking distance. Bayi entered the fourth quarter trailing 55-66.

With Guangsha’s turnover party continuing, Bayi, behind Wang Lei’s outside shooting, whittled away at Guangsha’s lead and closed the gap to 2 with 3 minutes remaining. Although Chandler clearly was not on his offensive game, he did come through in crunch time with 3 steals in the final two and a half minutes, all of which led to baskets on the other end. Jin Lipeng made a driving lay-up to put Guangsha up 5 with 10 seconds remaining, putting the game away.

Chandler finished with 14 points on 4 of 14 shooting, but it was Ramos who carried Guangsha offensively with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Wang Lei led Bayi with 29 points.

Signed to be the star of the team, Wilson Chandler has been a non-factor when his team needs him most. He has been held under 15 points in four of the last eight games. On the bench he looks disengaged and doesn’t even wear the team warm up suit – versus Bayi he dawned a lime green sweatshirt. It is likely that he is distracted by his imminent return to the NBA, where he will likely sign an eight-figure contract.

It is also evident that he does not drive to the hoop as much as in the first half of the season, instead settling for outside jumpers. However, Jim Cleamons had his own explanation, “He is being guarded not only by his man, but also by the guy in the middle of the key. If he beats his man, there is always someone to help. That’s why he is settling for more outside jump shots.”

Cleamons went on to say that if Guangsha isn’t shooting the ball well from the outside, that teams can get away with that always sending help to cover Chandler. In the second half of the season, their outside shooting has been suspect.

That said, Wilson Chandler’s recent play leaves something to be desired. In the heat of a competitive playoff race, missing morning practice because of a headache doesn’t pass the sniff test. The rest of Guangsha’s games have playoff ramifications. If Chandler and the Lions don’t show more passion against Beijing on Friday, check your post box, because they are mailing in the season.

Box Score

Follow Edward Bothfeld on Twitter @bothfeef

Xinjiang – 104 @ Liaoning – 99

Xinjiang won consecutive road games for the first time all seasons after a crucial victory at Liaoning. The feat is impressive for two reasons — first, it pushes the Flying Tigers into fifth place; second, it put only the third dent in Liaoning’s 13-3 home record this season.

Tim Pickett went off for 33 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, including a huge three down the stretch to put the game away for good. Tang Zhengdong arguably had his most productive game of the year with 20 points on 10-13 shooting with eight rebounds, and Xu Guochong added another 20 points.

Josh Powell and Guo Ailun lead Liaoning with 22 points apiece.

–Jon Pastuszek

Box Score

Zhejiang – 77 @ Shanghai – 85

A determined, selfless Shanghai Sharks team outlasted JR Smith’s Zhejiang Bulls in a nail-biting 85-77 game that kept a packed Yuanshen crowd on the edge of their seats for the whole forty-eight minutes. Smith was obviously the focal point of the Bulls’ offense but the Sharks managed to marginalize him enough to ensure victory, while Shanghai’s own influential American, Mike Harris, stepped up with a colossal 31 point, 21 rebound double-double to help the Sharks continue to chase a playoff spot.

The Sharks held on after a tough first half before shutting out the visitors in a lights-out fourth quarter that saw Smith double-teamed and hassled at every opportunity by the hosts. The Bulls lacked a plan B and as Harris gathered pace and Meng Lingyuan ran himself into the ground in pursuit of Smith, Shanghai suddenly began to pull away.

Obviously Harris had got his epic double-double whilst Marcus Landry picked up 24 points and Zhang Zhaoxu made 10. Smith scored 29 points but would have been more had it not been for the ferocious defending of Meng, whilst Ding Jinghui got 14. In his brief press conference, Coach Panaggio praised his side for their ‘hard fought, gritty win…[against] an opponent that came out well prepared and focused’, but equally singled out Meng for some choice words; ‘his defense was outstanding and critical to our win tonight’.

–Andrew Crawford

Box Score

Fujian – 116 @ Guangdong – 126

Boasting the superior depth that has some people calling this Guangdong team the best one ever, the Southern Tigers took out the visiting Sturgeons with six different players hitting for double figures. James Singleton had 25 points, 14 rebounds and five steals and Aaron Brooks scored 25 as Guangdong never really sweated after breaking out to a 19 point halftime lead.

The Southern Tigers’ 12 game win streak will be put to the test when they play in Urumqi tomorrow night on national television against the team they’ve met in the Finals the last three years, the Xinjiang Flying Tigers.

–Jon Pastuszek

Box Score

Bayi – 89 @ Guangsha – 90

For a full write-up, see Edward Bothfeld’s report from Hangzhou.

Box Score

Jilin – 128 @ Shanxi – 123

Box Score

Beijing – 112 @ Shandong – 118

Box Score

Jiangsu – 108 @ Foshan – 110

Box Score

Tianjin – 102 @ Qingdao – 115

Box Score

We took our seats at a Western-style restaurant in Hangzhou, China, after another Zhejiang Guangsha Lions win. Wilson Chandler, Guangsha’s star player and the best NBA player under contract in China, scored 19 points and pulled down 8 rebounds that night in the blowout victory over Shanxi.

Joining Wilson and me was Larry, Wilson’s childhood friend and personal manager, his agent Chris Luchey, and Guangsha’s assistant coach Rodney Heard. This was the China Crew.

“Can I get a spoon?” Luchey asked a waitress. She stared blankly so he tried again. “A spooooon,” Luchey slowly pronounced as he carefully drew a picture of the utensil in the air with his finger.

Seemingly simple luxuries of daily life can be difficult for a foreigner living in China, but Chandler and company knew the challenges ahead when he signed his one-year deal with Zhejiang Guangsha in August. It was a well-calculated decision.

At the time, the NBA and the Players Association were embroiled in a bitter labor dispute. Most people involved figured that the lockout would last well into January or even cost the NBA an entire season.

“I thought the lockout would last a while,” said Heard. “My sources in the NBA said [the labor dispute] was a bad one. Everyone else was losing money, [Wilson] would be making money.”

Heard touts an impressive basketball resume and is one of Wilson’s most trusted friends. His coaching career started in the early 90’s when he spent a season in China coaching in Guangzhou before returning stateside to coach at the University of California at Berkeley. After his coaching stints, Stu Jackson (now the NBA’s Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations) hired him as a scout for the Vancouver Grizzlies. He went on to be the director of player personnel for the Atlanta Hawks before being hired as a head scout under Isiah Thomas with the New York Knicks.

In the midst of his NBA personnel jobs Heard also served as the president of the Team Detroit AAU team. It was there he met Luchey, who founded and coached the rival Michigan Hurricanes on the AAU circuit, and the two became good friends.

Chandler didn’t start playing basketball until he was 16, and it was immediately apparent that he had a natural gift for the game from the moment Chris first saw him on the court.

As Heard recounted, “They told us about a good player up in Benton Harbor. There had been good players who came from there before, so Chris went up there, met him, and got him to join the Michigan Hurricanes.”

Chandler played two years of AAU ball under Luchey before heading to DePaul University on a basketball scholarship. Still, Luchey was in constant contact with him and although DePaul was losing, Chandler was blossoming as a player, so much so that he was garnering attention as a prospect for the NBA.

After his sophomore season, Chandler entered the NBA draft and hired Luchey as his agent. At the time, Heard was working for the Knicks as a scout and advised then-GM Isiah Thomas to draft Chandler as the 23rd pick.

“We worked him out for the New York Knicks before the draft. I had worked him out in the summers at different camps — ABCD or Reebok camp, so I was seeing him developing and getting better every summer,” recalled Heard. “He puts in a lot of hard work and is very focused. He doesn’t have a lot of miles on his body. A lot of guys have a lot of miles from before AAU and high school. There is a lot of untapped potential. He could one day potentially be a multiple-time All-Star.”

Upon being drafted by the Knicks, Heard made the conscious decision to take the 20-year-old Chandler under his wing and help him develop as a basketball player and a person. While in season they kept in constant contact and in the off-season Heard is Chandler’s personal trainer.

“I’ve trained him every summer since he’s been in the NBA. We have been trying to develop his game, and I’m proud to say, every year he has gotten better.”

Heard’s assertion is true. In each of his three and a half seasons with the Knicks, Chandler improved in every major statistical category, and averaged a career-high 16.4 points in 2011 before being included as a key piece in the trade to the Denver Nuggets for perennial All-Star Carmelo Anthony, which left Heard devastated. “That was a sad day for me. It was like losing your first-born.”

After the Nuggets’ first round playoff defeat at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the NBA lockout set in and Chandler faced a difficult decision; would he flee the U.S. and play overseas like many of his peers, or would he wait in the States and hope the lockout ended? Chandler was at a pivotal juncture in his career as a restricted free agent. If he were to get injured, he would potentially lose out on a huge payday. On the other hand, playing overseas would allow him to stay in shape and get play a lot of minutes.

“I thought it would be a great opportunity for him to grow because he is still developing,” said Heard.  “Guys like Carmelo [Anthony] or Amare [Stoudemire] don’t need to come over, but Wilson still needed game experience.”

After fielding multiple offers from teams in Italy and China, Chandler decided to sign with Guangsha not because they offered the most money, but because it was the right situation. Guangsha’s owner and GM both have a great reputation for their dedication to winning (“GM” as she is referred to, whose name is Ye Xiangyu, even sits on the bench with the team). Furthermore, they had also hired longtime former Chicago Bulls and L.A. Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons as head coach.

When asked about Cleamons’ role in Chandler’s decision Guanghsa, Heard said, “I had met Jim in previous years. He is a great person, a great leader, and a proven winner. It was a good opportunity for Wilson to be coached by him. He has helped Wilson grow as a player and a person.”

Yet as the season approached, Cleamons still did not have a complete coaching staff. As the focal point of the team, Wilson lobbied for Heard to join Guangsha. “I told Chris it would be good if he were here working me out.” Luchey agreed, “It made sense. It’s a short season, both of them are familiar with each other, and having coached in China before, Heard is familiar with some of the issues we would deal with.”

With Guangsha, Chandler has excelled as their leader, averaging 26 points and 11.3 rebounds. These numbers come even though Chandler plays within the team’s game plan. He often enters half time having scored under 10 points, instead looking to get his teammates involved. Then, in the second half he will assert himself, using his strength and athleticism to get to the basket at will and his shooting touch to burn opponents from the outside.

Chandler led Guangsha to a 13-4 record, and for a while it looked like they were legitimate championship contenders. However, they have struggled in recent months and now find themselves at 15-13, in the thick of the playoff race. With his return to the NBA imminent, Chandler has remained committed to his Chinese teammates. In the four games leading up to the Chinese New Year, during which the CBA has a week off, Chandler made only 31 of 104 shots, good for 29%. Instead of heading to the sunny beaches and warm weather of Hong Kong like many of the American basketball players in China, Chandler remained in a cold and wet Hangzhou, working on his game with Heard and shooting over 500 shots a day.

Although his experience in China is coming to and end, Chandler feels he has improved as a basketball player. “I’m getting better in every aspect of the game. Working with Heard every day has been helping with that. I’m a more mature player in terms of my outlook and approach to the game.”

Having been together for the ups and downs of life in China, Chandler’s relationship Heard has also grown. They eat every meal together; sit together on the team bus, and spent a turkey-less Thanksgiving together on the road, instead eating pizza and potato chips. They are also there for each other during bouts of homesickness – Wilson has a young daughter and Heard has a wife and two kids anxiously awaiting their return.

Reflecting on his time With Guangsha, Chandler said, “I won’t forget this experience. I didn’t know what to expect. I came with these guys and it gave me a comfort zone. I got a chance to be with people I know and care about in another country.” “That will probably never happen again in life for us as a group. I don’t think any of us would be able to last without all of us. We need each other.”

Luchey’s spoon finally arrived as we chatted about the other CBA results of the night and which teams would pose Guangsha the biggest threat in the playoffs. The conversation then shifted to the NBA – how the lockout ended and which teams were in need of a wing player.

Upon his return to the NBA, Chandler is likely to rejoin to the Denver Nuggets, who retain his rights and are said to be interested in signing him long term. It’s unclear where Heard will work once the Chinese season is finished, but he will train Wilson during the off-season. “I need a break from Heard for about a month,” laughed Chandler.

Edward Bothfeld can be followed on Twitter @bothfeef

This article was oringally posted on Sheridan Hoops

Jeremy Lin put on another show Wednesday night, logging his third consecutive 20-plus point game as the New York Knicks defeated the Washington Wizards 107-93.

In Beijing, a certain SheridanHoops.com columnist was back at work following an extended break for Chinese New Year, wondering whether his e-mail pal could pull off another one of the types of performances that had fans at Madison Square Garden chanting “M-V-P” two nights ago.

Lin certainly did, with 23 points, 10 assists and four rebounds.

Lin had a Q and A with this rejuvenated Beijing-based reporter, which is posted below.

SH: When you heard all rapturous chants of “Je-re-my” and “M-V-P”, what were you feeling?

Lin: It was an unbelievable experience and I’m just thankful to God for the opportunity to play at Madison Square Garden and thankful to the fans for their support.

SH: You have such a great performances the last two games. How do you comment on that, and how did your coach and teammates comment on that?

Lin: The team was really happy in general because we really needed the win, and it was a total team effort. We played really hard, especially defensively and we’re glad to get the wins.

SH: A lot of reporters said that your performance was kind of like American Dream comes true. Do you agree with that?

Lin: Yeah, I think it is fair to say that.

SH: Before the game against New Jersey Nets, you had rarely been in the regular rotation. When do you know you would be an important role in that game? How’s your feeling? Nervous or excited?

Lin: I was unsure if I was going to play and how much I would play, but I’m just glad I was able to get comfortable out on the court.

SH: CBS reporter Ken Berger said “Finally the Knicks found the right PG to do the right things”, so what are the right things in your mind?

Lin: The right thing is to attack the defense and take whatever they give us.

SH: During the practices, you play a lot of pick and roll with big guys. Which one do you think you have a good communication with? Amare or Tyson?

Lin:”Both. I’m slowly developing a chemistry with both of them.

SH: What do you think of the Knicks offensive system? Do you think you are a right piece of that?

Lin: The Knicks offense is suitable for me because there’s a lot of pick and rolls and a lot of space.