As the only Chinese player who did not register for the NBA draft this year, Zhang Zhenlin finally chose to participate in the summer league, hoping to use this threshold to knock on the door of NBA, although at that time he only got a Suns Summer League mini training camp quota, but he still relied on his own efforts to obtain a quota for the official summer league game. And in the Suns Summer League's first game against Lakers , he scored 3 points in only 2 minutes of playing time.
In the second game between Suns and Wizards , Zhang Zhenlin's playing time came to 7 minutes. During this period, he scored 5 points and 1 rebound with a 2-for-5 accuracy. Perhaps it was these two games that The Suns coaching staff also began to give Zhang Zhenlin more opportunities to showcase. In the recent "China Derby" between the Suns and the Mavericks, although Zhang Zhenlin only got 6 minutes of playing time until the last quarter, compared with the previous two games , Zhang Zhenlin's desire on the offensive end is indeed stronger. Although he only scored one goal in a sports game, he stood on the free throw line 8 times, hit 7 goals, and scored the highest 9 points in this summer league. Another Chinese player Guo Haowen It also has an excellent performance of 9 points.
In these three games, Zhang Zhenlin has indeed shown his offensive aggressiveness. Next, the Suns have a Summer League game to play, and their opponent is the Kings, and they should have a few qualifying games to play next. , if Zhang Zhenlin can really seize the opportunity in these last few games, regardless of whether he can stay in the NBA stage in the end, this summer will be a fruitful experience for Zhang Zhenlin. Unlike Zeng Fanbo has become less and less confident playing in Pacers and has gradually lost the trust of the coaching staff. With 2 years of experience in CBA, Zhang Zhenlin really seems to be able to play in this summer league with ease. .
After these three summer league games, Zhang Zhenlin averaged 5.7 points per game in only 5.5 minutes of playing time, and his three shooting percentages reached 40%, 50% and 80% respectively. In the limited playing time, , can play so efficiently, to be honest, Zhang Zhenlin should have received more playing time. So in the next few games, Zhang Zhenlin should really play more selfishly after getting the ball. In the last game against the Mavericks, Zhang Zhenlin fully demonstrated his explosive jumping ability. Although both dunks were Destroyed, but at least it can be seen that he dares to confront these NBA-level players instead of being afraid of such physical contact. I also hope that in the next few games, Zhang Zhenlin can do more basketball moves that can boost the team's morale to impress the coaching staff.
Of course, if in the last few games, Zhang Zhenlin only gets a chance to play in the garbage time at the end of the game, then this basically means that it may be difficult for him to get a formal NBA contract, regardless of whether he chooses to return to the CBA and continue Playing for the Liaoning Basketball Team, or staying in the United States and seeking opportunities in the Development League to enter the NBA door, we should actually encourage these young people who are actively pursuing their dreams.
