Breakout star Shen Zijie sees FIBA Asia Champions Cup as chance to improve individually and as a team
Shen Zijie has been one of the most improved players in the CBA and an title run with the Shenzhen Leopards could land a chance to further develop his game at the FIBA Asia Champions Cup!
SHENZHEN (China) - The Shenzhen Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) recently wrapped up one of the most successful regular seasons in franchise history with a 4th place finish in the standings. The 33 hard-earned victories the Leopards compiled also marks the most ever amount of wins in a season for the team.
“We fought really hard as a team and since we experienced a lot of injuries and incidents this season, I really treasure what we have accomplished,” says Leopard’s promising forward, Shen Zijie.
Shenzhen’s core has been Li Muhao and Gu Quan. The 2.18M (7’2”) Li contributes a steady 10.3 points and 6.6 rebounds down low, while Gu operates from the perimeter for 14.6 points and 4.8 rebounds on 43.6 percent shooting from long range. Even with those two returning for the 2018-2019 season, there was some concern early on about how Shenzhen would respond to the departure of Meng Hao who averaged 11.3 points in 25.5 minutes per game last season. The situation turned sour when returning import Jared Sullinger went down with an injury and was replaced after just 15 games.
Shen Zijie (left, in focus) and Li Muhao (right, in focus)
It was a good thing that the Leopards had Shen Zijie ready to step up.
Shen exhibited strides of improvement in his first two CBA seasons, but it was this year where he’s breaking out as a potential star. The prized prospect has doubled his scoring output with higher efficiency as well as adding on to his rebounding numbers.
2016-2017 season: 12.1 minutes, 3.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 57.7 perfect field-goal shooting
2017-2018 season: 17.1 minutes, 5.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 55.8 perfect field-goal shooting
2018-2019 season: 26.2 minutes, 11.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 65.7 perfect field-goal shooting
“First of all, since it's my third season in the CBA and with more experience, I felt more comfortable on the court,” Shen says explaining some of the reasons leading to his breakout year. “Secondly, we changed our playing style to be more fast-paced because [Sulinger] got hurt which ended up in more playing time for me. My teammates trust my ability and [Kenny Boynton] attracts a lot of attention on defense which opens up more opportunities.”
The 21-year-old Shen is quick on his feet for his size, making him difficult to cover in pick-and-roll situations and in transition. Once he slips through a screen or gallops his way into the paint on a secondary break, Shen uses his length to finish around the basket.
“It’s my finishing ability on the offensive end,” says Shen of what he feels he’s improved the most on. “I think it has become more steady than in the previous seasons.”
The 2.11M (6’11”) youngster was already a solid finisher in his first two seasons, but boosted his field-goal shooting even further to over 65 percent this year. It’s one of the reasons why Shen’s been one of the more intriguing players to watch, earning him a Player of the Month award in November and a first time call-up to the Chinese national team during the World Cup Qualifiers.
Shen was one of the finalists for the Most Improved Player of the Year award which eventually went to Xinjiang Flying Tigers’ Abudushalamu Abudurexiti, but he knows there’s always more room for him to get even better anyways.
“I would say it’s my defense,” says Shen of where he expects to improve. “Especially guarding the low post and the pick-and-roll. Also my free throw percentage. I want it to be more stable and consistent.”
Shen’s focus now turns toward contributing to Shenzhen’s playoff run as they face a strong Beijing Ducks squad in the Quarter-finals. After losing the first 2 games to Beijing, Shenzhen has regathered and rallied to tie up the series at 2-2. If they can make it to the championship round and win the franchise’s first ever CBA title, Shen and the Leopards will have a shot at playing in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2019 to go up against some of the top clubs in Asia.
“It would be a valuable experience to play against strong teams with different styles. That would help develop our team and myself a lot.”
FIBA