SAPPORO, Japan, August 18 -- Two years ago, with an upset win over world
champion Serbia and Montenegro, the Chinese men's basketball team matched its
franchise best by making it to the top eight at the Athens Olympics.
However, it will be really hard for the Asian titlist, spearheaded by
four-time NBA All-star center Yao Ming, to repeat the feat at the 2006 World
Championship opening on Saturday in Japan.
Injuries to major players might be the biggest enemy of China, whose best
finish at the worlds was also an eighth in 1994.
Yao Ming, the most reliable weapon of the Chinese team, has been struggling
to recover from a broken foot in the last four months. On Tuesday, he scored 21
points, including the game-winner with 2.7 seconds remaining, to award China an
narrow 63-61 win over Australia and break its eight-game losing streak in
warm-ups.
"I have been trying hard, but I am still not in top shape," Yao said after
Tuesday's match.
Former NBA player Wang Zhizhi, who along with Yao Ming were dubbed "Ming
& Zhi" combination by Chinese media, also just returned from a knee injury.
The 2.12 power forward, who contributed nine points in Tuesday's match, still
had to wear a pad in Thursday's training.
Moreover, China head coach Jonas Kazlauskas has yet to find out the best
feeder for Yao Ming from a total of four point guards he brought to Sapporo.
Point guard has always been the Lithuanian's headache since he took the helm
of the Chinese team in 2005. He had tried seven players in the position during
the team's training camp before picking up Olympians Liu Wei, Sun Yue and Zhang
Qingpeng, Chen Jianghua.
The 17-year-old Chen, who had never played one single match in the Chinese
Basketball Association (CBA) league, impressed with his bold performance in
China's 119-73 defeat to the United States in Guangzhou last week, his national
team debut.
Although Chen is unlikely to replace Liu Wei to start at the World
Championship, he might emerge as a secret weapon when his peers can not make
things work.
An unfavorable draw and an increased scale of the quadrennial tournament made
it more difficult for China to reach the quarter-final round at Japan.
Bracketed with Italy, the United States, Puerto Rico, Slovenia and Senegal in
Group D, the Chinese need hard work and a bit luck to ensure a top four finish
from group preliminaries and a place in the elimination round. Even if they
struggle out of the difficult group successfully, they will most likely face top
teams from Group C, which includes Greece, Brazil, Turkey and Lithuania, on the
road to the quarter-finals.
Having good understanding of the situation the Chinese cagers were facing,
the Chinese Basketball Association did not have unrealistic expectation from the
team. However, Kazlauskas and his players still felt the pressure.
With China's men's soccer team falling out top 100 in the world ranking and
the men's volleyball team struggling to return to the top of Asia, Yao Ming and
his teammates shoulder the country's slim hope to excel in major team events at
the Beijing Olympics in two years time.
A disappointed finish in Japan could also put CBA Commission Li Yuanwei's
future in jeopardy. Since he assumed the reign in 2003, Li has driven a series
reforms in the development of Chinese basketball and its national league,
including hiring international coaches for the men's and women's national teams.
However, he will also be the first to blame if national teams do not meet
expectation of domestic fans and media. Following China's lackluster performance
in the exhibition matches, rumors have already been spread that he might step
down in the near future.
While China is striving for a top eight place, powerhouses like Olympic
champion Argentina, European champion Greece and the United States put their
eyes on the trophy.
Following disappointed journeys to the last world championship in
Indianapolis in 2002 and the Athens Olympics two years ago, the U.S. team made
of NBA stars is keen for redemption in Japan. But the presence of their
opponents from South America and Europe made sure they could not take anything
for granted.
